Fugitive for Love
by edwardlovesbellaforever
Summary: When Bella's marriage to a prison warden becomes a nightmare, she finds solace in an unlikely person with whom she can truly be herself: one of his prisoners. ALL HUMAN AND AU
1. Proposition

**A/N: Hello, everyone! My name is Nicole, and I'm really excited about starting to write fan fiction again. I used to write it, but then I stopped a little while back. So I decided to start again the other day. This story has me really excited because I have some great ideas. Plus, I love the Twilight saga so much! **

**This story is a little different. It's ALL HUMAN and definitely Alternate universe. I might switch around the POV, but I haven't decided yet. It might seem a little slow at first but it definitely picks up. I hope you enjoy this! Please leave review when your finished! Thank you!**

**Summary: When a warden's wife is kidnapped by a desperate prisoner, she is surprised to find out that he has other plans for her than as a hostage.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing! All belongs to Stephenie Meyer!**

**Chapter 1- Proposition**

**Edward's POV**

It was an unusually hot and sunny day. The weather was uncomfortably warm while the sun rested high in the sky. The only thing that could be heard was the obnoxious movements of the prisoners in the court yard. Shackles clung tightly to my wrists while the orange attire I wore matched everyone else. The grip the security guard had on my upper arm was too tight; annoying might be a better word. But I didn't dare fight it. The last thing I needed was to be in trouble for fighting with a jail guard.

I glared back at him, allowing myself to do that much, and, with out an hesitation, he shoved me toward the others who were horsing around when they should have been working. A dark-haired man with icy blue eyes came up behind me, unlocking the handcuffs that clung to my wrists.

The drill was simple; pick up the shovel and smash rocks for a reason that I still had no clue about. But I didn't question it, only obeyed. It was said that doing it would cause us to learn discipline. Yeah right.

Talking to the other prisoners was not an option for me. The reason? Well, they belonged here. They were guilty. I wasn't. But did the judge bother to listen to my side of the story? Of course not. They had all the proof they needed to lock me up for a good twenty years.

I lifted up the rusted shovel and began to smash the over sized stones like I had been doing for the past two years. You were never supposed to question why you had to do such a pointless and stupid working drill. I learned that the hard way when I first got here. Since then, I speak when spoken to.

After about five minutes, I glanced up at the top of the stone walls with barbed wire poking out dangerously. Security guards paced the walkway on the path by the barbed wire, waiting for someone to make one wrong move just like they always did. Their black shot guns were in their hands so much, that you would think they were glued there. All of them were dressed in dark blue pants and dark blue shirts. Hats remained on their heads while dark black sunglasses clung to their faces. Just your typical guard.

Today wasn't my day. I could tell from the moment I woke up around 5:30 this morning to two men screaming at each other for absolutely no reason. Of course this caused the cops watching them to get involved. That's when they forced us all up out of our beds to do shitty manual labor.

But I never complained. Letting it breeze over my head was way easier. Trust me on this when I say getting in trouble around here means that there is always hell to pay later. So I just figure that if I stay out of everyone's way, then maybe I'll get out of here on good behavior. It's a long shot, but it sure as hell is worth a try. Who am I kidding? I was given twenty years. I still had eighteen more to go, and I was only 24.

Shoveling to my left was a man by the name of Michael Newton, a blond-haired, blue-eyed bastard who always looked for trouble. He was in here for rape and seemed to be proud of his "accomplishments." He was one of the many jack asses that I couldn't even stomach.

Naturally, Mike did what came easy to him; picking a fight. "Hey Cullen! Why don't you quit throwing your shit toward my pile. I already got enough work to do. The last thing I want is to clean up after you," he yelled.

_Just ignore him. He'll get bored and shut up, _I thought to myself. It was the only way I could get through the day with out ripping his disgusting face off.

I went back to doing my work, ignoring his annoying tone of voice. My eyes looked up toward the guards who were now watching the two of us, thanks to Mike. One of them spoke into the walkie-talkie attached to his shirt while staring in our direction.

"Why don't you go kill a few more people instead of trying to get out of doing your own work!" he yelled loud enough for the others dressed in bright orange to stop and glance in our direction.

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. _Keep your cool, Edward. He'll shut up, he'll shut up. _Reassuring myself was something that always calmed me when I was on the edge.

"Figures you wouldn't say anything. You don't have the balls," he said loud enough for me to hear, but no one else.

I threw my shovel to the ground with a loud _whack! _and turned my body in his direction. "How about I kill you instead, huh Newton?" I yelled louder than I intended to.

He smiled, deviously. "I would love to see you try," Mike challenged, taking a step forward toward my direction.

Almost immediately, I froze, stopping myself from doing something that I would sure as hell regret. Getting in a fight right now was definitely not worth it. I turned my head to the side and glanced up at the security guards who held their tight grip on their weapons. I sighed and stepped back away from Mike.

"What's the matter, Cullen? Afraid I might actually be able to kick your ass. Or are you just afraid that you might get in trouble by the big bad guards?" He snickered ferociously, causing my whole body to tense up.

I couldn't take it anymore. He was asking for it. With out any hesitation, I turned on the balls of my heels and lunged for him. My fist collided with his cheek bone forcing him to stagger back. He brought his hand and rubbed his face once before he smashed his hand into my jaw.

From the corner of my eye, I could see the other prisoners leaving their shovels behind to come and watch the anticipated fight that they knew would happen sooner or later. Loud howls and eruptions of excitement and words along the lines of "Fight!" came from the mouths of the convicts dressed in neon orange.

I ended up pummeling Mike to the ground and slamming his face into the flesh of my knuckles over and over again, causing them to bleed. There was no stopping me now. The cheers of the prisoners erupted from all around me, encouraging me to continue. Mike got in some good swings to, forcing blood to leak from my nose. But I was sure that my face wouldn't look as bad as his.

Before my hand came in contact with his face one last time, I stared toward the guards who watched us in amusement like they did everytime there was a fight. They'd gawk at us until they figured out who had won and THEN stop the fight. The guards all enjoyed our fights as much as the other prisoners.

With that came the sound of a loud gun shot erupting from above. Immediately, like we were forced to do everytime something like this happened, our hands went behind our heads while we lay flat on our stomachs. Hell was coming sooner than I would have expected.

I glanced up, discreetly, staring up at the security guards who walked toward me. Forcefully, they placed silver handcuffs around my wrists and dragged me up off the grassy floor. "Let's go Cullen!" one of the said through gritted teeth.

I didn't fight it. Instead, I just obeyed like the prisoner that I was.

Of course I knew what was going to happen next as we walked hastily out of the court yard and into the creaky elevator. I was in deep shit and there was no way I would be getting out of here on good behavior with this fight going on my record. The judge would take one look at it and tell me that I would most likely have another year or two added to my already twenty year sentence.

Exhaling through my nose, I followed the guards as they led me to the "Warden's" room. Jacob Black was in charge of this all. The Washington State Prison was his, and he was damn proud of it. Jacob was a well-respected man. People thought that he was a shining gift from heaven, that he was the best thing that ever happened to the town. I never could see how that was possible considering the fact that he only owned a prison.

But maybe it was because he was running for mayor now. I'd seen his campaign commercials during meals when we would be in the cafeteria and he was as fake as Pamela Andersons boobs.

One of the guards knocked lightly on the door. "Mr. Black? We got Cullen. You wanted me to send him to you, remember?" the guard stated.

Send me to him? Wasn't I supposed to be getting in trouble for nearly breaking Newton's face? Maybe they had contacted him with their oh-so-handy walkie talkies. They used those things more than they breathed.

I could hear Jacob's voice from the other side of the door as I waited patiently for my punishment. "Yes, send him in," he called.

The security guard sneered widely as he stared up at me. I was nearly a head taller than him, but obviously his devilish smile meant that I was clearly in trouble. He opened the door for me and shoved me in, apparently impatient with my slow pace. I grinned inwardly. If there was one thing I loved, it was the chance to piss the guards off with out having a cause to get in trouble for it.

I trudged into Jacob's office. It was a pearl white color with several certificates and awards hanging orderly around the room. He certainly was pround of his accomplishments and enjoyed flaunting them.

Standing next to Jacob was a woman that definitely wasn't his wife, but his campaign manager, Leah Clearwater. She was the woman who was making his dream of becoming mayor come true. Maybe I'm crazy, but I would say that her outfit was not exactly appropriate for a meeting with her client. She wore a tight, short black skirt that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. A silk blue top clung to her torso while a massive amount of cleavage busted through.

Not very proffessional at all.

I cleared my throat once, trying to get Mr. Black's attention to let him know that I was in his presence. He was reciting what looked like a campaign speech into his tape recorder while Leah smiled adoringly at him. Jacob held up one finger as he began to finish off his phony lies of how he would make the city a better place.

When finishing his rant, he set the recorder down on the edge of his desk and turned his attention to me.

"Ah, Mr. Cullen," he began. "please, take a seat," he said gesturing to the black leather chair that rested in front of me.

Normally, he never would have asked me to sit. I was evidently going to be in this depressing room for longer than I had intended. This was going to be horrible. I was already itching to get away from this fake bastard. But with out a word, I nodded my head and maneuvered myself into the chair with my hands still in the silver handcuffs.

He sighed and smiled weirdly. "Those must be uncomfortable," he stated, pointing to my wrists. He held up his finger, telling me to wait a moment before he pressed a button on his phone.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Black?" came a raspy woman's voice on the other line.

"I need Embry. Please send him to my room," he said urgently. "And make it quick!"

The woman's voice sounded...terrified? Like she was afraid of this man. He was the last thing that I would ever fear. Jacob Black played the game of life and death. Once you were in with him, you had to play too. And I would be damned if I were to lose.

Jacob folded his hands neatly in front of him while his campaign manager rested her hand comfortably on his shoulder. A little too comfortable if you ask me. But who was I to judge? "It'll just be a moment. Then you and I can discuss your situation."

I nodded my head and gritted my teeth slightly. "Okay."

Just then a deep voice from the other side of the door along with a knock interrupted Jacob's next statement. "Mr. Black you wanted to see me?" the security guard by the name of Embry asked. He, too, sounded a little frightened just as the woman had.

"Yes. Come in, please," Jacob said in an overly cheerful voice.

I turned my head as the massive guard stepped inside of Mr. Black's office. His hair was dark as night and hung just below his shoulders. He looked like he could use a good hair cut, in my opinion. His cheeks were extremely scruffy and his eyes looked tired, like he hadn't slept in a good 48 hours.

"Mr. Call, I would like you to remove the handcuffs from Edward's arms. He might be in here a while, and I don't want him to be terribly uncomfortable," Jacob stated, shocking all of us in the room. I wasn't complaining or anything but still this was extremely unusual especially for someone who should be getting punishment.

With out another word, Embry was at my side unleashing the shackles from my wrists. When they were free, I massaged them slightly with my fingers. I didn't realize how tight they were until the cuffs were finally off. "Will that be all, sir?" Embry asked, standing like a soldier.

"Yes, Embry. Thank you," he stated watching Embry leave the room. Jacob glanced up at Leah and smiled warmly. "Would you give Edward and I a moment. I would like to discuss some matters with him."

Leah grinned back. "Of course. I'll just be making some phone calls about the campaign," she said reaching for the knob on the door.

To her surprise, a woman slammed right into her, clearly in a hurry, causing Leah to stumble to the floor. "Oh God! Leah, I am so sorry. I didn't even know you would be standing there. I'm such an idiot," the woman said as she leaned down to help Leah up.

Of course I knew who she was. I've seen her here for the past two years that I have been here, and she lived right here on the prison grounds. Her name was Isabella, or better yet Bella. One thing I learned was that she hated when people called her Isabella. Not from experience, just from others.

She was shockingly beautiful with a big heart full of compassion to go along with it. It made me wonder how someone so innocent and sweet could end up married to an ass like Jacob Black. Her translucent complexion went wonderfully with her long brown hair. Bella's chocolate colored eyes were something that anyone could easily get lost in.

Leah was up from the ground and smoothing the wrinkles out of her shirt. Her face gave her away, letting others know that she was extremely pissed off. "It's okay, Isabella. It was only an accident. Just watch where your going next time," Leah stated icily before leaving the room.

Bella took a deep breath and sighed, closing the door when Leah left. "I don't like her, Jake," she said through gritted teeth. "And I need to talk to you about-" She stopped abruptly when she noticed my presence. I don't know how she could have missed me, especially when I stuck out in my orange attire in this dull room. "Oh, sorry. Am I interrupting?" she asked tearing her gaze away from mine.

Jake smiled widely. "Of course not. Your my wife so that gives you rules that allow you to interrupt." He chuckled and took her hand in his. "Isabella, you remember Edward, don't you?" he asked gesturing toward me.

She glanced back in my direction and smirked. "Yes. I remember."

I kept my face emotionless while I gave a slight nod and said "Hello" just above a whisper.

Bella smiled slightly. "Hi."

"Well, apparently, Edward has quite a temper. He just got in a fight today with Mr. Newton, nearly breaking his nose," he said keeping his eyes fixed on me although he was talking to his wife.

Bella raised her eyebrows. "Oh."

"How do you think I should handle this, dear?" he asked, turning his body toward his wife.

She swallowed thickly and opened her mouth to speak, but then snapped it back shut. "Oh, I'm in no position to decide that." Bella paused and looked in my direction. "I'm sure that you should get both sides of the story before deciding anything though. It's only fair," she stated.

Jacob nodded his head. "Yes. Yes, I agree with you. When are you going to quit that job of yours so we can have you here at the prison. I'm sure you would do excellent here."

I watched as Bella clenched her jaw. It was obvious that this was an issue for the two of them. "I'll just see you tonight. I only have an hour lunch break, and I need to get back. We can talk later, I guess."

He nodded. "Later, then."

With that, she left the room. I couldn't help but watch her every step as she left. Bella had my sympathy. Jake treated her like she was one of the prisoners here, trying to control her every move as if she were nothing more than a puppet.

My thoughts were interrupted when Mr. Black cleared his throat. I stared back in his direction, inwardly yelling at myself for staring at her. "She's beautiful, isn't she?" he asked leaning closer over his desk.

I nodded my head. "Yes."

Hopefully that was the answer I was supposed to give.

I watched as he bobbed his head back in forth and rubbed his temples as if he had an excruciating head ache. Jacob sighed loudly while I waited patiently for him to speak. "What would you say if I told you this punishment your supposed to be given could go away?" he asked.

I licked my lips once and cleared my throat. "I would say what's the catch?"

Jacob laughed and leaned back in his chair. "You're a smart man, Edward. Don't know how the hell you ended up in a place like this." He stopped for a second. "Well, maybe I do, but that's not the point."

"Then what is, Mr. Black?" I asked quietly.

He got up from his chair and walked to the window with a drink in his hand. "I need a favor," he stated with out looking my direction. Jacob stared aimlessly out the window at the prisoners working in the scorching sun.

That took me by surprise. What could I possibly do for him?

"You don't think I see, Mr. Cullen, but I see," he said wickedly. I didn't understand anything that he was saying so I waited for him to continue with this bargain. "I see the way you look at my wife."

I swallowed thickly, discreetly, trying to keep my cool. "And in what way is that?"

"Don't play dumb, Cullen. I know what you would like to do to her." He paused a moment. "You said so yourself; she's beautiful. So, therefore, I need a favor from you." He turned back to the window and took a slow sip of the drink in a glass. I waited for him to continue due to the fact that I was utterly confused. "I need you to kill my wife."


	2. The Dirty Deed

**A/N: Alright! Sorry about the cliff hanger, but I'm a quick updater so it shouldn't have been too bad. Anyway I would just like to say thanks so much for the reviews! Hopefully, this chapter will attract more readers, though. Things might be slightly confusing now, but I promise it will all be explained in chapters to come.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

**Chapter 2- The Dirty Deed**

**Edward POV**

I was shocked by the sentence he had just spoken. Was he serious? Was this some kind of trap that he was trying to set me up in? I attempted to keep my mouth shut, but I just couldn't. "What?" I asked in utter disbelief, making sure that I hadn't heard him incorrectly.

I watched as Jacob rubbed his forehead once, the smirk never once leaving his olive-colored skin.

"I'm asking you to kill my wife." No, I definitely heard him loud and clear. He sighed loudly and walked over to his massive leather chair and plunked himself onto it. "I'm not trying to trick you, Edward. I know that's what your thinking. But you see, I need someone like you to get Isabella out of the way." He paused a minute and toyed aimlessly with a piece of paper resting on his desk. "I'm sure you've heard that I'm currently running for mayor."

I nodded my head slowly. "Yes, I've heard." I was almost sure the whole damn world knew he was running for mayor. With all the signs, billboards, commercials, and public speeches, how could you miss it?

Jacob smiled widely. "I'm going up against Jasper Hale. You know, the one that this city believes is going to save them all. They love him more then life itself. And the last thing I need is to lose this election to a guy like him. I deserve the key to the city more than he ever will." He took another sip from his alcoholic drink and licked his lips.

My mind was screaming at me, telling me that this wasn't happening. I just couldn't bring myself to believe that one of the most respected guys in the whole state was propositioning me to kill his wife. "With all due respect sir, I still don't understand what any of this has to do with...with killing your wife?"

A smirk tugged at his lips. "Well, that's simple, Mr. Cullen. I need the city's sympathy."

Maybe I was a little slow, but I still couldn't comprehend anything that he was saying. "I...I don't understand."

Leaning forward slightly, Jacob entwined his fingers neatly on his desk. "Edward, do you know nothing about winning the people over?" he asked, all traces of joking gone from his voice. "Do you know how high my votes will go if they feel sorry for me when I've lost the supposed 'love of my life'? The ballets will shoot through the roof." Jacob exhaled through his nose. "I need _you_, Edward. You're what I am looking for."

I swallowed thickly and clenched my teeth. "Why me? Why not one of the other guys out there?" I asked pointing toward the window that overlooked the courtyard of working prisoners.

He leaned back against his chair again. "A part of me knew that you were going to ask that question, and the good news is that I have an answer. My wife says that she believes that you're innocent. That there something about you that makes it seem like you don't belong here." He stood up from his chair and paced slowly back and forth. "Bella trusts you in a weird way, and you and I both know that trust is a lie."

I inhaled and then exhaled slowly. "Let's just say that I agree to this. How the hell am I supposed to kill her? We got guards up our asses watching every single move we make. So, obviously your plan has some flaws," I stated as I, too, stood up from my chair.

"You see, that's where you're wrong, Mr. Cullen." Jacob shook his head back and forth. "I've been planning this for months, and I believe that it is finally perfect." He laughed with out humor. "Are you in or not?" he asked.

"What's in it for me?" I asked.

He smiled widely. "You'll be a free man, Edward. These walls will no longer hold you back."

The sound of those words made my head swell with excitement and happiness. I nodded my head, considering what he was telling me. Before I agreed to anything, I needed to know his ideas. "Tell me your brilliant plan that you have," I demanded.

Jacob grinned. "Now were talking." He leaned closer to me and set his drink down. "I'm going to get you to my house and when you get there you're going to use the garage code that I give you. When you're inside change out of the orange clothes and get into the clothes that I have laying on my bed. From there, Bella will be home around three p.m. Then you can get her to drive you off the prison grounds where you'll do whatever you want with her. When all is said and done, I want her dead." He paused for a moment to take a breath. "You can drive across the border to Canada and by the time I notice she's gone, you'll be free."

I was impressed. He obviously put a lot of thought into this. I swallowed slightly. "And what if I don't want to do it?" I asked.

He snickered loudly as if I said the funniest thing in the world. "Let's just say you'll wish you were dead by the time I get through with you. Sound good?" he asked.

My heart was pounding so hard. This could be my chance to get out of here; to set everything right; to let the truth be told. So I did what my gut told me to do. "Alright." I paused a short moment. "I'll do it." A wide grin spread across his face. "But," I began, "if I get caught, you're going down right along with me."

Jacob didn't respond, only continued to stare. He tore his gaze from my eyes and picked up a black pen, writing numbers down on a yellow post it. "This is the garage code and the alarm code to my house." Jake ripped it from the pad and handed it to me. I went to take it from him when I accidentally knocked a plaque off his desk sending it to the floor. "Smooth," he said obviously not caring much about the object. "Pick it up and see yourself out. One of the guards will be waiting to take you to the nurse. I'll come by your cell when I need you," Jacob stated before walking to a different part of his office.

I bent down to reach the object when I noticed the tape recorder he had been using earlier was still going. He must have dropped it when he was practicing his campaign speech. I glanced back to see Jacob with his back to me. With out any second thoughts, I took the tape from the recorder and replaced it with a new one. Quickly, I shoved it in the bottom of my shoe. I knew for a fact that this would come in handy later.

Hastily, I walked to the door, reaching for the knob. "Oh, Edward?" Jacob called. I glanced back him, my hand still grasping the handle. "Tell anyone about this, and I'll be sure to kill you myself." I nodded my head once and then headed out the door.

Jacob was right. One of the security guards was waiting, patiently outside of his office. "Hands behind your back," he commanded. I obeyed, maneuvering my arms so they were behind me. The guard locked the shackles around my wrists tightly before grasping my upper arm to lead me to the doctor's office and then most likely back to my cell where I would be excused from work today.

Jacob's offer came at me like a pound of bricks, shoving me to the ground. I could hardly believe what I had gotten myself into, but there was no other way. I had to get out of this prison, to get away from these jail walls that would enclose me for the next twenty years.

We walked to the room where a female doctor waited to check out my face and hand from the incident with Mike Newton. She wrapped my knuckles in white gauze pads and sprayed the cut on my cheek bone with some disinfectant. I flinched as the liquid seeped into my wounds.

The woman smiled slightly. "How'd you get this?" she asked, pointing to the marks on my knuckles and face.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Just a stupid fight," I replied with out meeting her gaze.

"Oh," she said, nodding. A short silence lingered betweetn us while she fixed my scrapes. "So what are you in for?" She asked. "I've never seen you around."

I looked at her face in disbelief. "I've been here for the past two years, but most of the time, I usually avoid fighting." I paused a moment. "And I'm in for man slaughter," I said, my tone with no traces of emotion.

My words apparently shut the nurse up. Who would want to talk to a murderer anyway?

With one final cotton pad pressed to my face, she excused me. "You're all set."

"Thanks," I mumbled before walking out the door where the same guard was waiting for me. He did the usual; hands behind my back, put the handcuffs on, and held onto my upper arm like I was a child in trouble. Except this time, I didn't send him a death glare that I normally sent to the guards. This time I kept my eyes fixed on the floor with no feeling at all in them.

I didn't know if I was doing the right thing. But I knew if I didn't do it, he would find someone else and then add some shitty lie to my record saying I did something when I really didn't. After all, if anyone had that kind of power is was Warden Jacob Black. He was fake. and everyone believed any little thing that he said. They treated him like he could do no wrong.

The security guard brought me to my cell and slammed the iron door behind him. I looked around the room, feeling several different emotions all at once. First, happiness. This would be the last time that I had to see these dreaded walls. I would get to leave today and very soon. Second, nervousness. What if I got caught, and then they put me back in here for life? Like I told Black: If I go down, he's going down with me. And I was feeling scared. Not for me, of course, but for Bella. Jacob said that she believed I was innocent; that I didn't belong here.

So I decided. I knew what I was going to do, and I knew what had to be done. I would go along with Jacob's plan, and then, I would let the truth be told about the murders. One thing I knew for sure was that I was not a killer.

I went to go rest on my bed, to just close my eyes for a few moments. I had never felt so exhausted in my life. So I drifted asleep...

--

"Cullen!"

I stirred slightly at the sound of my last name and awoke from my short sleep that left me restless. Looking over my shoulder, I saw Jacob with my cell door open. Immediately, I got up from my bed and walked over to where he stood, waiting for his orders.

He looked around once and then turned to me and whispered, "The guards are all on lunch break, except for the ones at the entrance and at the exit so it's going to be easier than I thought to get you to my house."

I nodded my head, continuously as he handcuffed my arms, probably to make it look like he was taking me to the courtyard in case we were stopped. "You still have the alarm and the garage code?" he asked, merely above a whisper.

"Yes," I said simply.

"Good."

I glanced up at the video camera that had its wires clipped and the lense smashed. Apparently, Jacob made sure he left no traces of his involvement behind.

With that we walked briskly and silently to the side door of the prison. I had never knew that this door led out to the homes that were placed on the prison grounds. Everyone here thought it went to the courtyard. Sneaking out of here would have been a snap if I had known about that.

Jacob dragged me by my arm as he led me to his shiny, black Mercedes Benz. The windows were tinted a dark black color so I definitely wasn't worried about anyone seeing us. He glanced around once before he shoved me into the back seat where he instructed me to lay down. So I did, with out any questions or hesitation.

I watched as he went to the front seat and started the car. "You remember the plan?" he asked, still keeping his eyes on the road. Jacob looked relaxed and definitely at ease. Almost...content?

"Yes, I remember it," I responded. I paused a moment debating if this was the wrong question to ask, but I spoke anyway. "Do you not love your wife?" I asked, but then quickly added more. "I mean, if you loved her you wouldn't want to kill her."

A smile crept across his face. "There was a time when I did love Bella, but, now, things have changed. And there are sacrifices we have to make." He stopped a moment. "Bella and I don't really click anymore. Besides, I'm sure you've noticed that I have Leah now. Bella's death will simply just help me get my job as mayor. I'll mourn for a few months and then continue with my duty."

We were only driving for about three minutes when the car came to a complete stop. I looked at Jacob who appeared to be surveying the grounds of any guards; obviously they would notice my orange attire. "Alright, no one is around. You can get out," he said before unlocking the doors.

I sat up and turned my body slightly allowing him to remove the shackles from my wrists. He did it quickly and then reached over the seat, opening the door. "Remember the plan," he reminded me.

"Okay," I said before rushing out of the car. I hurriedly walked over to the garage and entered the code written on the yellow post-it note. "1-2-2-4-enter," I whispered, saying the code aloud. With that, the garage door began to slide up. I glanced around once, watching Jacob's car leave the driveway.

Quickly, I closed the garage door and rushed into the house. Almost immediately, I shut off the alarm with the code that was given to me.

The house was like a mansion, typically, but I had no time to admire the home. It was already 2:50 p.m. Bella would be home in ten minutes. So I rushed up the two flights of stairs, mentally yelling at myself for not asking which room was his. There were so many doors that led to various rooms that could have been theirs.

Trying to cut down my search, I looked for the room with clothes resting on the bed. After all, he said that they would be waiting for me. It was the room at the end of the hall that was theres. So I briskly undressed and threw on the navy blue jeans and light blue button-up that Jacob would lend me.

Snapping each button shut seemed to take forever, but the task was finally done. I glanced down back at the bed where there was a silver pistol and cash sitting. I swallowed hard and picked up the gun in my hands. The time on the alarm clock caught my eye saying 2:57 p.m. Instantly, I reached for the black jacket and wrapped it around my body, placing the gun and money in the left pocket.

I ran down the stairs, taking two steps at a time, and waited by the front door silently where Bella would be entering. I took the gun out of my pocket and held it firmly in my right hand. My heart was thudding loudly while my breathing remained uneven. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a minute, trying to rid all of the negative outcomes that could be the result.

My eyes shot open when I noticed the door begin to open, and just as I was expecting, Bella walked inside. Her chocolate colored eyes were fixed on the envelopes of mail in her hand so she didn't notice my presence at first.

I waited for her to close the door behind her before I made my occupancy known. Like a theif in the night, I came up behind her and pressed my hand against her mouth while the one with the gun remained at my side. Bella sucked in a ragged breath and jumped slightly as she looked out of the corner of her eye at me. "Don't scream," I commanded in a whisper.

Her breathing was extremely heavy as her whole body tensed up when I pressed the gun to her head. "Don't kill me. Please," she pleaded, the words muffled by understandable against my hand.

I brought my lips to her ear. "You're going to do what I say and then nothing will happen to you, got it?" I stated quietly as if others were here to witness this.

Bella nodded her head quickly as I dropped my hand from her mouth and grasped her forearm. "Just tell me what you want and you can have it. I promise. Just...just..." Her voice trailed off as tears of fear filled her eyes.

I inhaled slowly as I dragged her to the garage where her car was. I opened her door for her and shoved her inside the driver side. Instantly, I was in the passenger side of the car, sitting on the floor instead of the seat. I had the gun aimed at her as her eyes full of fright stared down at me.

"Where are we going?" she asked, her voice cracking several times.

"Start the car," I demanded. She did as I told her after she opened the garage door. "Now, drive to the exiting gates and get me off the prison grounds." I paused a minute. "Act normal because if they notice anything, I promise I will shoot you."

Bella nodded her head several times and closed her eyes, swallowing hard. "Okay."

I waggled the gun slightly. "Drive!" I whispered loudly.

And she did. Her facial expressions went from being afraid to completely normal, the way she had looked when I saw her in Jacob's office this afternoon. One thing she was good at was putting on an act. I ducked down lower into the floor as we approached the gates where the security guards would be waiting.

She honked the horn once and then pointed to gates with a wide smile. I couldn't see, but the guards must have opened it because we kept driving at the same speed. "We're out," she whispered down to me, her face going back to its panicked state. "Where do I go?" she asked, slightly shaky.

I sighed loudly as I got off the floor and sat in the passenger seat. "Drive to the nearest gas station," I said reaching for my seatbelt.

I couldn't believe it. I was out of there, finally. No longer was I caged in by those stone walls with barbed wire. I was free, for now.

My body turned to glance over at Bella who was gripping the steering wheel so tight that her knuckles were turning white. Her breathing was coming fast, almost like she was hyperventilating. Her legs shook profusely as she pressed on the gas. "What are you going to do with me?" she asked, her eyes fixed on the windshield. Her voice was full of angst and anxiety.

I didn't answer her. Instead, I looked out the window, watching the sidewalk pass us by. "Just relax," I said, trying to sound reassuring.

Bella inahled slowly before she pulled into the Shell Gas Station where there were barely any cars. "Perfect," I whispered aloud. I took off my seatbelt and commanded her to follow. With trembling hands, she opened her door. "Give me the keys," I demanded. Bella placed them in my hand slowly.

Quickly, I pressed the trunk button, causing it to open. I looked around several times before I whispered, "Get in."

She looked at me like I was crazy which I probably was. "What?" she asked in disbelief. "You..you can't...I..."

I interrupted her rambling. "Get in the trunk," I said through gritted teeth.

If she moved any slower, I knew someone would see us so I reached for her arm and helped her in. Bella fought slightly, but didn't make a huge scene. "No. No. Please don't do this," she begged in a whisper.

I cut off her words when I slammed the trunk shut. Briskly, I walked inside the gas station and decided to plot my trail. Behind the counter was a woman reading a magazine. She stopped abruptly when she noticed my presence. "What can I help you with, gorgeous?" she asked trying to appear sexy.

Hoping that I still could be charming, I spoke. "You wouldn't happen to know how to get to I-55 from here, now would you?" I asked leaning over the counter.

She beamed and leaned closer to me. "Well, I do, but I won't tell you."

A fake smirk tugged at my lips. "And why is that?" I asked in a whisper.

The woman smiled widely and twirled her blond hair with her fingers. "Because then you'll leave."

I licked my lips and drew back a little. "How about this?" I paused a moment. "I'm going to be back here next Thursday. How about you and I catch a movie and then dinner later?" I lied smoothly. I wrote down a fake number and pushed it toward her.

She bit her lip trying to fight the grin that threatened to come. "Well, there's nothing to it. All you have to do is follow 82nd street and then make a left on Cicero Road. Before you know it, I-55 is on your left."

Smiling widely, I replied. "Thanks," I said before turning back to her. "And I'll see you Thursday."

With that, I walked out the door. I couldn't help but wonder if this woman would change her mind when she knew that I was a convicteded murderer who just escaped from jail. I laughed slightly at the thought.

As I approached the car, I could hear Bella screaming for someone to help her. There were no cars around so of course no one would be able to hear her pleas. I tapped the trunk lightly, letting her know that I was back. Immediately, she silenced herself.

I stepped into the car and began to drive, but I wasn't going anywhere near I-55. I had to remain one step ahead so that I wouldn't get caught. I would need to throw the police off my trail...

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	3. Running to Stand Still

**A/N: My reviews were so amazing for the last chapter! I'm so happy that people love this story. I put a lot of hard work in to it so it's good to know that you guys appreciate it. Thanks so much! And yes, I am a big fan of cliff hangers. I think that it keeps the readers wanting to know more and then coming back to find out what happens. Continue to leave the awesome reviews, please!**

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**Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing!**

**Chapter 3- Running to Stand Still**

**Edward POV**

I knew exactly where I was headed. It was my old cabin in the forest where I used to go every summer before I was accused of murder. I had spent some of the best years of my life there. But now, it all felt like such a lifetime ago. I mean, look at me now. I kidnapped the wardens wife so I could get out of jail. It all seemed so unbelievable and dramatic. The worst part of it was if I got caught, I would have to go back to that place.

My eyes searched for the path that I used to take as I drove slowly along the road. Bella still remained in the trunk of car, silent as ever. I knew she was afraid, and I knew she wanted to go home to her supposedly 'loving husband.' If there was one thing he was, it definitely wasn't that.

Before Jacob, had asked me to kill his wife, I knew the truth about him. He was a sly man who put himself before anyone. It wasn't necessary for him to ask me to do this deed because I was one of the people that saw right through him.

I find certain people extremely easy to read and the warden is certainly one of them.

Finally, I caught sight of the beat-up pathway and pulled the car slowly into the space. I glanced over my shoulder to make sure that we were alone on the road. There wasn't a car in sight. This eased some of my tension.

Walking briskly, I went to open the trunk where Bella rested. I hastily unlocked the trunk, to find the same Bella I saw when I put her in the back. Her eyes were still filled with terror while her hands trembled uncontrollably. She looked up at me and swallowed hard. If you looked up the word fear, Bella's facial expressions would be a good example of the noun.

"Come on. Get out," I said reaching to grab her arm. Bella scrambled out of the car, tripping slightly along the way. I caught her hand before she tumbled to the floor. She seemed so vulnerable.

She instantly flinched back from my touch. "Sorry," I muttered.

Bella looked around once and then stared back at me. "Where are we?" she asked, a somewhat icy edge to her tone.

"A forest," I replied, as I began to rip branches off of trees. I scattered the pieces of wood and leaves evenly over the car, attempting to keep it from being seen by others on the road. When I felt that it was good enough, I reached for Bella's arm. I shoved her lightly in front of me. "Walk straight. I'll let you know when we need to turn," I said taking my gun back out.

Bella glanced back at me several times, probably making sure that I wasn't getting ready to kill her. It was beginning to get dark and blackness was starting to fill the sky. Although treetops blocked the view of the stars slightly, they could still be seen, and they were as beautiful as ever.

Majority of the time, there was silence between Bella and I. She would flinch every time something moved or when the wind blew the trees roughly. After a while, she broke the quiet. "Why are you doing this to me?" she asked in a whisper, stopping suddenly.

I ignored her question and pushed her forward. "Keep walking."

She fought back refusing to move. "No!" she said fiercely. "Tell me why you picked me. I barely know you, and you sure as hell don't know me." She stopped a moment. "What have I ever done to you?"

Nothing. That was it. She never did one single thing to me. Jacob said that she believed I was innocent, and now, she looked at me like I was a monster. "It's complicated," I replied simply. "Just...just keep walking," I said trying to keep my voice intimidating.

Bella let it go for a moment refusing to speak again as we pushed through the thick forest full of trees and bushes. I hadn't realized how far in the cabin was until I was actually walking the distance. Normally, my father would drive his way toward the wooden home, but I couldn't leave any traces of my presence behind.

After about an hour, I decided it would be good if we stopped for the night. It would probably take about another hour to reach the cabin, and I could feel my tiresome sneaking up on me. I ended my steps when I noticed a small clearing where we could rest.

Bella glanced around nervously before catching my eye. "Why are we stopping?" Bella asked abruptly.

"We're going to sleep here for the night," I said, kneeling to begin a fire.

She looked at me in disbelief. "Here?" she asked. "In the woods?"

I nodded my head. "Yep, that's the plan," I said with out emotion. I stopped my attempts to make a fire for a moment so that I could make sure she wasn't able to run away. "Go sit against that tree," I commanded. With out any questions, she obeyed me and sat silently. I probably scared the daylights out of her. "Okay, um, put your hands behind your back." And Bella did. It was getting easier and easier to get her to listen to what I was saying. Slowly, I knelt before her, locking eyes with hers. The way her eyes seemed to see down into my soul caused me to look away from her captivating gaze. I pulled out the cloth in my back pocket and wrapped her wrists tightly with it.

Exhaling through my nose, I turned away from her to continue with my fire. It was getting a little chilly outside and we would most likely need warmth through out the night. "You were in jail for murder," she said. It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

I swallowed thickly and nodded with out staring at her. "Yeah. I was."

I could tell she was debating on whether or not she should continue with the course of this conversation. Bella sighed quietly before speaking again. "Why did you do it?" she asked calmly.

My throat began to burn. This was an extremely delicate topic for me. I couldn't tell her the truth. Not yet. "It's complicated."

She laughed with out humor. "Everything seems to be complicated for you."

I chose to ignore her statement while I began to tend to the fire.

"Why are you doing this?" Bella stopped for a second. "If you were smart, you wouldn't have kidnapped me. You do know that you could have gotten out of jail for good behavior, don't you? Now, you've pretty much screwed it all up. You'll be lucky if you don't get a death sentence or-"

Her rant began to get to me and make me feel slightly uneasy. "I know what I'm doing," I interrupted.

"Do you?" she challenged.

"Yes," I replied confidently staring back at her.

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "No you don't. You don't have a clue. You're just as confused about all of this as I am, and don't even try to deny it because you know that I'm right and that it's true."

I tore my eyes away from hers for the second time tonight. "You don't know anything. Like you said I don't know you and you sure as hell don't know me. So maybe you should stop making assumptions," I said through gritted teeth.

Bella pursed her lips. "Maybe you should tell me why you kidnapped me. You do know that I'm the warden's wife, and he's going to have every cop in town out looking for me."

The thought of that made me laugh. If only she knew. "I highly doubt that," I said still attempting to gather wood for the fire.

She narrowed her eyes at me, but didn't respond to my comment. That was the last time we spoke to each other before she fell asleep against the tree. I stood up for a while, tending to the fire making sure that it remained lit. It was only a matter of time before I needed to do what had to be done. And I wasn't talking about murder. It was much more advanced than that.

I sighed heavily before I, too, leaned against the tree. Exhaustion started to take over my entire body. I glanced over at Bella who appeared to be sleeping soundly. I closed my eyes knowing that if she were to try to escape I would surely hear her.

**Bella's POV**

I waited patiently for him to fall asleep before I made my disappearance. It took forever for him to finally surrender to his weariness. I peeked out of my eyelids noticing his even breathing and his eyes completely shut. He was finally in the slumber that I had been waiting for.

The cloth clung tightly to my wrists as I attempted to free myself from what seemed like the jaws of life. It was bound strongly to my hands but I could feel the knot beginning to loosen as I dug my fingers through it over and over again. Before I could stand, I had to get this off my arms or else I would surely fall over and wake him.

Finally, I felt the cloth fall from my wrists. I sighed silently as I rubbed my arms from the squeezing object. Looking in Edward's direction once more, I stood up from the tree and began to back away slowly. My steps went only centimeters at a time while my heart thudded loudly with fear. I didn't even want to think of what he would do if he woke up from this sleep.

Slowly and quietly, I tip-toed around the tree and silently paced away from where the burning flame was. My eyes remained fixed on the ground as I looked for any branches that I might accidentally step on. I knew they would make a loud crack if my foot came in contact with them.

When the fire was just a faint glow, I bursted into a run unsure of where I was going. This forest was enormous and I definitely didn't know my way around. But I had to get away from the man I once that could be innocent. It was clear that my judgement of character had been far off the mark. He was just the same as any other prisoner; just another killer.

Tripping several times, I kept sprinting around, not knowing exactly where I would go from here. The trees all began to fly past me as I desperately wanted to find a way out of this area. But I didn't even know the direction I was going. I couldn't remember from which way we came so this was even more difficult.

It wasn't until I heard a loud gun shot forced into the air that I jumped at the sound. Edward was awake, and I had to get away soon. I pushed my legs harder demanding them to go faster and faster. My body began to pump as expeditious as it would go. Right, left, right, left. I began to chant to myself praying that I wouldn't topple to the ground.

Another gun shot was fired into the air as I instinctively covered my head and let out a scream. I wasn't hurt, it was just the only thing my body would allow me to do.

My legs continued to thrash forward, one in front of the other. I could hear Edward coming closer due to the cracking of branches and brushing of leaves. I glanced behind me to notice him catching up with my pace. I wanted to go quicker, but my legs wouldn't allow it.

I felt Edward's huge body slam into mine as he took me to the ground. I began to thrash back and forth trying to get him off of me, but he gripped my arms tightly holding them against the ground. My head shook back and forth as I tried to free myself. "Stop!" he yelled as his body straddled mine.

My body ceased its writhing movements and looked directly into Edward's eyes. I tried to make my fake look brave and fearless before I spoke, but I could feel the fright creeping its way in. "Get off of me," I said through gritted teeth, my voice strained.

And he did. Edward lifted his massive form off of mine. He turned away from me and ran his hands through his reddish brown hair. He swallowed thickly and kept the gun tight in his right hand.

I got up quickly from the ground and anger pulsed through my entire body. "Why don't you just shoot me already?!" I yelled loudly swinging my arms. I stepped forward and shoved his chest, but it wasn't enough to cause him to stagger back. "Come on! Do it!" I screamed.

I watched as Edward licked his lips quickly and then lifted the gun, aiming it in my direction. My figure tensed at the suddenness of his change in behavior. Almost immediately, he brought the silver pistol back to his side. "The gun shot will attract too much attention," he said casually. "You can't just go running off like that. There are animals in these woods that would do anything to get here hands on you."

I ignored him and crossed my arms over my chest. Edward glanced at the watch that clung to his wrist and he sighed. "It's 5:00 in the morning. We're going to continue walking since I can't trust you to stay where I want you to." He took a few steps toward me and spun my body around away from him. He brought the fabric to my eyes and wrapped it around my head, covering my vision.

Edward turned me in several directions, most likely to not allow me to remember the direction we were headed. I didn't fight it. Instead, I just let him control me. He kept a grip on my arm as he began to lead the way. "Where are we going?" I asked trying to sound brave, but the crack in my voice gave me away.

"Just some where I used to go when I wasn't in jail," he replied. That shocked me in a way. I wasn't expecting him to answer any of my questions, but now he seemed to be giving in. It seemed unusual.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked wishing that I could see.

He sighed loudly before answering. "That depends on what you want to know."

"Why are you doing this? I mean you must have a reason. I've asked you so many times, but you just ignore me," I said calmly.

It took him a while to answer but he finally did. "You're right," he began, "I do have a reason. But it's a reason that you don't need to know right now," Edward said. I could hear a hint of slight tension in his voice, almost as if he was nervous for some unknown reason.

I licked my lips once as we continued to walk through the thick forest. It wasn't until a few moments later that his statement had sunk in. "Right now?" I asked. Did that mean that he was planning on telling me?

He didn't answer me this time, instead his grip loosened on my arm. Maybe I was crazy, but it seemed that Edward was more nervous than he was supposed to be. Weren't escaped convicts supposed to be fearless and 'indestructable'. This didn't appear to be the case with him. Edward seemed so...afraid.

I swallowed hard before I decided to start up the conversation again. "Are you going to kill me?" I asked, my voice sounding casual as if we were talking about the weather.

"You ask a lot of questions," he said. "Why don't you just let the chips fall where they may?" Edward suggested.

"Because this is a life or death situation for me. Either you are going to kill me or you're not. It's my life. I think I have the right to know what is going to happen to me," I said sounding more confident than I felt.

"Don't worry about it right now," Edward said, as I felt our bodies turn in a different direction.

What did that mean? He was being so cryptic about everything. Why couldn't he just give me a straight answer like I wanted? A part of me felt that he wouldn't kill me, but that was a very small part. A man charged with murder wouldn't escape from jail and then just let me go. That wasn't the way things like this worked out. First, he would get what he wanted. Then, when he had it, I would most likely die shortly after.

But he wouldn't get away with it. Jacob would surely find him and set things right. Or at least that's what I was desperately hoping.

We continued to walk for what seemed like forever. Due to the faint amount of light peeking through the fabric wrapped around my eyes, I could tell that the sun was already in the sky. It had to have been at least 7:30 a.m. now. My legs were killing me from all this.

It wasn't until Edward spoke that relief washed over me. "Watch your step. We're going to walk up stairs," he said, taking my hand and guiding me up. I heard him fiddle with something as I stood there, waiting patient as ever. After a short moment, I heard a door creek open, and he grabbed my arm and led me inside of the room. Another door was opened, this time with more force. Although I couldn't see, I knew he closed the door behind him.

I felt his hands on the back of my head as he began to untie the cloth from my eyes. I blinked several times as I glanced around the cabin. It was extremely small with only one wide open room. The kitchen collided with the bedroom while there was only one other door that I assumed led to the bathroom. The windows were very tiny and were a good eight feet from the ground.

"Why are we here?" I asked.

Edward began to peel his coat off and set it on the bed. "Because barely anybody knows about this place."

I stood in my place for a while watching Edward shift through drawers and look through cabinets, retrieving several items. The objects that he needed he began to shove into a black back pack. I didn't ask questions or even let my presence be remembered. Instead, I just looked at him curiously.

My eyes began to wander aimlessly around the room and, bravely, I took a few steps forward toward a photograph that rested on the tall, brown dresser. It was Edward with a blond-haired woman and a man with dark hair. They were all laughing and smiling widely with their arms wrapped tightly around each other. They appeared to be in front of a motor shop for cars. It looked like a picture that belonged on one of the those cheesy Hallmark cards. Curious now, I spoke. "Is this your wife and best friend?" I asked turning my body back to Edward.

He stopped shoving the items into his back pack and glanced in my direction. With quick steps, he strolled toward me and ripped the picture from my hand. "Ex-wife. Ex-best friend," he replied. The anger in his voice only made me even more interested than what I already was.

"What happened?" I asked.

Edward shot me a death glare and took the picture out of its frame. He shredded it to pieces and threw it in a garbage can. Obviously, things hadn't ended well between the three of them.

I watched as he picked up the back pack and wrapped it around his back. "I'm going to get some supplies we'll need. I'll be back in less than ten minutes, so don't try anything stupid," he said, the warning obvious in his voice.

I nodded my head as he began to walk to the dark green door. He stared back at me before he closed the door behind him.

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	4. Run Away

**A/N: Did I ever tell you all how awesome you are? The reviews as usual were excellent! You guys are so amazing! This chapter is a little short, but I promise the next one will be posted soon to fulfill this shortness. Please leave review when you're finished reading this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

**Chapter 4- Run Away**

**Bella's POV**

His emerald green eyes stared down into mine before I watched him shut the door behind him. Was he really trusting me to be alone in this cabin with out him here? Apparently so. And what did he mean by supplies. What could Edward possibly need?

Before I made any movement, I stood motionless for about five minutes hoping to get him at least a little while in front of me. The last thing I needed was to run in to him by accident. When the time was up, I hurriedly rushed to the green door in record time. My fingers fiddled with the knob, but it wouldn't turn all the way. He had locked it from the other side probably guessing that I would try to escape. I knew he wasn't that stupid.

After kicking and pushing against the door a few times, I decided to give up because Edward said that he would be back in less than ten minutes. I hadn't thought about his words much until now. Where was he going that it would take less than one-sixth of an hour when it took us at least two and half hours to get here. It didn't make any sense to me.

I didn't linger on his words for long as I glanced up at the small windows that rested a good eight feet up. They were tiny but I was almost sure that I could fit through them with out a problem.

Quickly, I reached for one of the wooden dinner chairs around the maple table and brought it below the window. I jumped on top of it and lunged my hands to the locks of the opening. My fingers meddled with them a while until I decided that they were sealed shut just like the door.

But I wasn't giving up this time. I banged my fists against the glass hoping that my punch was hard enough to break the clear window. But it wasn't. All it did was give me knuckles that would surely start forming bruises any minute now. I kept slamming them against the window, ignoring the agony that shot through my arms.

"Help!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, knowing that it was useless. "Somebody, please!"

There was no one in sight, not a soul around. Who would want to come this far into the forest, anyway?

I looked around the room hoping that I would find something useful to open the window with. I jumped down from the chair and grabbed the first thing my eyes landed on. A black, metal stick rested near the little fire place but was in my hand shortly after.

My feet took me back to the chair that I expeditiously stepped on. I hurled the metal object black and then slammed it forward straight into the window. It went threw with out any trouble at all, causing all the glass to shatter in different pieces. I forced the stick to break through several other places, making the hole larger.

There was just enough room for me to squeeze my way through it, hopefully with out getting cut by the sharp edges. I placed my hands on the sill of the window and lifted my body weight using my arms. It wasn't until now that I realized how frail and weak my arms appeared to be.

Swiftly, I put one arm through the window while the other remained on the sill, trying to keep my body from touching the glass edges. One of my hands came in contact with a razor sharp chunk of glass. It seeped deep into my skin causing me to scream from the pain. I let go of the sill to tend to my wounded hand, but that was a huge mistake. The side of my stomach scraped against the rigged edges of the window.

Immediately, I felt blood begin to make its red trail down my skin. I had to get out of this window before it was too late so I ignored the pain and shoved my way through, getting several wounds along the way. I gasped painfully at the injuries but began to push my way forward through the thick forest.

The agony shot through me like a bullet. The cuts were deep and would most likely get infected if they weren't cared for. But I didn't have much time. I had to get away from him now.

But just like the last time I ran away, I had absolutely no sense of direction or where I was. I spun around several times attempting to see if there was a road nearby or perhaps another cabin. But everything looked the same so I kept running in the direction I was in the first place.

I ran like the wind causing branches and leaves to smack against my small figure, knocking me over several times. It was painful but not like the agony of my bloody wounds. It seemed that the faster I ran the more blood spilled out of my body. I stumbled along the way and was becoming so tired. I obviously didn't have very good endurance.

While I was running, I peeked down at my stomach to look at the damage. It was excruciatingly deep and so much of the blood was coming from where it belonged. I looked away from that quickly knowing that if I stared at it too long, I would surely throw up. My stomach and I never really liked blood much.

My right fist felt hot and sticky. It was colored a bright red from my fist full of blood. I attempted to open my hand from its fist, but the throb ached too much. I kept it shut tightly, hoping that it would slow down the flow.

I hadn't slowed down until I felt like someone or something was here with me. I came to a complete stop immediately and looked around, my heart threatening to pound out of my chest any second. The bushes bustled in front of me, but I wasn't sure if I saw anything. But it happened again directly after that on the other side of me. There was someone or something there. I knew for a fact that there was. And I had never been so terrified in my entire life...

**Edward's POV**

Slowly, I picked up the back pack and wrapped it around my back. "I'm going to get some supplies we'll need. I'll be back in less than ten minutes, so don't try anything stupid," I said letting her know that if she ran then I would just drag her back here.

With out a word, she nodded her head in agreement. I reached for the door and opened it. I wasn't sure why, but I turned around to glance back at her as if this were the last time I would see her. Like losing an old friend of some sort. She stared back at me, the confusion obvious in her brown eyes.

Using effort, I tore my gaze away from her captivating orbs, closing the door shut behind me. Immediately, I reached for the bolt and locked it shut. I knew what her intentions were. One thing I wasn't was an idiot.

I needed to get a few things from the store down the street, and I needed them fast. I had no time to waste before I would do what was to be done.

The reason it had taken so long for Bella and I to get to the cabin was because I had taken her in circles, making her believe that the wooden home was deep into the forest when really it was no more than several minutes in. I had to leave no traces of evidence behind.

I approached the open road and jogged down it until I came to the small store on the corner. It looked the same as it had two years ago, not changing even the slightest bit. It still looked like a home that Abe Lincoln might have lived in with chipped logs in a few places. The parking lot was still empty with only one car parked outside of it. I wasn't sure how this store always remained open when it only got approximately ten customers in a day.

That's when it hit me. What if I saw someone in here that knew I went to jail? Surely, they would question how and why I got out, especially since I was in for two charges of man slaughter. How could I have been so stupid to forget about such an important detail? Going aong with losing my freedom, I must have lost my common sense when I was in prison. I peeked through the glass window of the store and looked to see if the same people worked here.

There was an old man with a short, white beard and a dark black hat attached to his head most likely to cover his baldness. He was painting what looked like a model of an old airplane, probably used in the 1930's. I hadn't seen this man in my life which was definitely a good sign. But I continued to peep through the door looking for familiar faces. None. He was the only one working today which was certainly a relief.

Quickly, I pushed the door open causing a dinging sound to fill my ears. The man lifted his eyes from his artwork to glance at me. "Mornin'," he said, his voice with out emotion.

"How you doin'?" I asked politely, my voice low.

He sighed. "Well my ticker is still tickin', so I'm okay. How 'bout you?" he asked in a friendly tone.

I nodded my head and looked around the store several times. "I'm okay."

The old man smiled but continued painting his model airplane. "Good, good. Every day above ground is a good day," he stated simply.

A small smile tugged at my lips. I couldn't help it. But that was the last he said. His eyes were now transfixed by the object he held steadily in his hands. I took this time to gather the items that I would need. My eyes searched for black sunglasses and possibly a cap of some sort. I couldn't have anyone recognizing me from anywhere. It would certainly blow my cover. I also needed a tape recorder for obvious reasons.

I found the objects and kept them in my hands as I went to search for a fake brochure just in case this man could confirm that he saw me. A stack of different brochures rested on a black table. My fingers looked for one that would seem believable. I came across one that read the word Nevada. I picked it up and decided that it would be good enough.

With my items in my hand, I walked quickly to the counter to pay for the objects with money Jacob had given me. The man set down his artwork as he noticed me approaching. He took the items from my hands and began to ring them up. "Headin' down to Nevada?" he asked gesturing to the brochure

"Yes, sir," I lied.

He smiled widely. "Yeah, that's where I'm from. Be sure to visit Vegas for me, got it?" he joked.

I grinned back. "Of course."

The old man began to put my purchased items into a plastic bag before he handed it to me. "Have a great day."

I nodded my head once before I began to walk toward the door. "You too," I called back.

With that, I left the ancient looking store and walked briskly back to the cabin. I glanced down at my watch noticing that I had only been gone for about seven minutes. I would surely be back before she had the chance to do anything careless or stupid.

My feet began to pick up the pace as I continued with my quick walk back to the cabin. I wasn't sure how long I would be staying here, but it certainly would not be any more than three days. I had to do what I was set out to do in the first place, and it, beyond any doubt, wasn't to sit around and wait.

I turned into the forest and continued my path back to the wooden lodge. I knew this forest like the back of my hand so of course it wasn't difficult for me to find my way. As I approached the cabin, I walked up the short staircase to the entrance. I pushed the key into the lock and pulled that door open.

I reached for the latch on the door that held Bella inside and unlocked it. My fist jerked the door open using the knob.

Just then, I felt frustration pulse through me. I noticed the small window had been smashed to pieces along with drips of red painted along the edges which I assumed was blood, her blood. She had forced her body through the window that I was almost sure she wouldn't fit through. Apparently, Bella was smaller than I thought.

"Shit!" I cursed.

Abruptly, I reached for the zip on my back pack and pulled out the silver gun. Throwing the bag and my other items to the floor, I sprinted out of the cabin and down the short flight of stairs. I ran to the side of the lodge with the broken window, looking for a clue of which way she might have gone.

My eyes caught side of a red trail leading in the opposite direction from which the road was. Figures she would go the wrong way.

She was clearly bleeding uncontrollably, and it certainly wouldn't help if she hadn't covered the wounds. I followed the red blotches of blood on the forest floor, hoping they would lead me in her direction.

I hadn't thought that she would go through such drastic measures to get out of there. I decided to add another quality to my list of characteristics for her. She was a fighter and didn't give up easily. This would normally be a good thing to have but not in my situation.

My feet pushed harder and further with every step I took. It was helpful that I was a fast runner. "Bella!" I yelled, hoping she might answer me. I knew it was somewhat of a stupid thing to do, but I couldn't think of anything else. "Bella, where are you?" I called. You didn't have to be a rocket scientist to answer that: Running away from me, that's where.

Suddenly, there was a scream coming from my left side. I jolted my eyes that way and began to shove my legs in that direction. "Bella!" I called again.

It was then that I heard her voice. "I- I'm over here! I think...I think there's something following me! Something's moving in the bushes!" she yelled, her voice hesitant.

I caught sight of her long brown hair and rushed to her side. Quickly, I shot the gun into the air, causing a loud fire to fill our ears. It was then that I heard the scurrying away of some type of animal. Whatever it was out there, was gone now. "I told you there were animals in this forest," I said breathlessly.

She swallowed hard. "I thought you said that the gun shots would attract attention. That's why you wouldn't kill me earlier," she said changing the subject and keeping her eyes fixed on the spot where the animal had once been.

It was then that I really saw her. Her white shirt was soaked with blood and tattered with holes, most likely due to the branches whipping against her body. Her hands were a bright red color and remained closed in a tight fist.

"Look at you," I said in disbelief, examining her. "Let's get you back to the cabin so we could fix those. The last thing you need is for those to get infected," I stated pointing to her wounds.

Bella nodded her head. "Okay."

I started to walk but stopped immediately when I heard her gasp in agony. I turned my body back in her direction and peered at her. She was hunched over slightly holding her stomach with her fisted hands. I went to her side and placed my hand on her back. Surprisingly, she didn't yank herself away.

"Come on," I said, lifting her body from the ground and being sure to not press hard against her wounds. "Let me carry you back." Bella was placed securely in my arms, bridal style. She kept her arms in her lap but rested her head against my chest. Her eyes were closed shut tightly when I glanced down at her. Bella's right arm rested around my neck. The blood from her body was now being stained onto my clothes, but it didn't really bother me.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice quiet.

I could almost feel the confusion on my face. "For what?" I asked.

"For breaking your window," Bella stated, opening her eyes to peer up at me.

My lips twitched into a small smile. "Don't worry about it."

For a long moment, I just stared into her deep brown eyes that seemed to hold so many emotions; fear, sadness, hurt, trust, compassion, empathy. She was so...fragile.

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	5. Wounds and Doctors

**A/N: The reviews were spectacular! Thanks so much for them! And since you guys are so great, I decided to give you another Upddate! Please take some time to review this chapter! It's one of the turning point in the story.**

**Disclaimer: Nothing is mine!**

**Chapter 5- Wounds and Doctors**

**Edward's POV**

We arrived at the cabin in only about a couple of minutes. Bella remained silent the whole way aside from the painful gasps that would occasionally escape her mouth. I would readjust the position of my hands so that they wouldn't cause her any more agony than she was already experiencing.

The wounds appeared to be excruciating, but Bella didn't complain. I guessed she was the type of woman that didn't like to show weakness. She was brave and strong. Two great qualities to have. On the side of her stomach were what looked like slashes of red, most likely from the ridged edges of the window. I couldn't see the wound on her hand due to her fist that she kept in place, but I could assume that it wasn't pretty.

I walked slowly up the short flight of stairs, Bella still in my arms bridal style. Thankfully, I hadn't locked the door to the lodge or else opening the lock would be a much more difficult maneuver. I was obviously in a hurry to get Bella back to the cabin.

When we were inside, I lowered Bella down onto the bed. Her eyes shot open as soon as her body touched the blanket. I stared deeply into her chocolate orbs seeing trust within them. Trust that I certainly didn't deserve. After all, I was the on that kidnapped her, and I was the one that was supposed to kill her.

Quickly, I ripped my gaze away from hers and rushed to the bathroom to retrieve the first aid kit. This place was always stocked with supplies for wounds and cuts. This was the wilderness and someone was always bound to get hurt. I went in the cabinet that was under the sink and grabbed the white box with the objects that I would need.

I walked briskly back to the bed where Bella was now sitting up. I went to kneel in front of her as I placed the first aid kit on the space beside her on the bed. "Okay, let me see your hand first," I said softly.

Hesitantly, she began to open her hand slowly, but then immediately snapped it shut. Bella winced from the pain and gritted her teeth. "I...I can't. It hurts too much," she said.

"Bella, you have to. I have to clean the wound before it gets infected. I know it hurts, but...just trust me. Okay?" I said trying to be reassuring. I spoke the words but knew she had absolutely no reason to trust me.

She nodded her head and unlocked the fist that she had. Her eyes were closed tightly while she bit down hard on her bottom lip. I took her hand gently and examined the wound. It was a deep gash with bits of glass stuck inside. "You have glass in here. I'm going to get them out so it might hurta little, but it will be quick. I promise," I said, feeling like a doctor talking to a five year old.

"Okay," she sighed.

I reached for the tweezers in the box and began to pluck out the grain-like pieces of glass. Some were bigger than the others, but either way, it was still a horrible wound. Bella remained tough the whole time, never once making a complaint about the agony.

After all the bits of shattered glass were out, I reached for some disinfectant and sprayed it on the open gash. She flinched a little, probably from the sting, but didn't say a word. Bella didn't like being weak. It was obvious.

I sifted through the box looking for the Neosporin to place on her wound. This would help it heal much faster. When I found the object, I squeezed it so that it came in direct contact with the cut. Using a Q-tip I spread it around the whole thing.

When I finished with that, I retrieved some gauze pads and began to wrap it around her hand. "Better?" I asked.

She nodded. "Much. Thank you."

I shook my head. "Don't thank me yet. You still have another cut on your stomach," I said pointing to her blood-stained shirt. "Just lift up your shirt a little so I can see how bad it is." I didn't know if my words would be rude or would offend her but it didn't seem like they would.

With out any hesitation, she obeyed and hoisted up her clothing so only her lower torso was revealed. The gashes weren't as deep as the one on her hand, but they still weren't pretty. I reached for the first aid kit and began to tend to these wounds. "You know, you're lucky you don't need stitches."

Bella laughed with out humor. "Yeah, well, I don't feel very lucky, right now."

I pursed my lips and nodded as I searched for bits of glass through out her wound. There were none which was definitely a good sign. I reached for the disinfectant again and sprayed it on the slices. Bella sucked in a deep breath, probably trying not to scream. "Sorry," I mumbled.

"It's okay," she whispered.

Quickly, I placed more Neosporin on the cuts and then taped a gauze pad to the left side of stomach where the wounds rested. "All done," I began, "unless you have more damage in another place."

Bella shook her head. "No, just those two."

"Good," I said, standing up in front of her.

I picked up the first aid kit and went to put it back in its original place. When I got back from the bathroom, Bella was looking at the torn up picture of my ex-wife and ex-best friend that I had thrown in the trash can. She glanced over her shoulder and placed the photograph back in the can. "Sorry," she said, immediately. "I was just curious, that's all."

I nodded my head once and then stared at her appearance. Her shirt was coated with a red tint from the blood. "Do you want to change out of those?" I asked. "I have girl clothes here from my sister."

"Um, yeah. Thanks," she said.

I pulled open the one dresser in the small room and retrieved a dark blue blouse. She accepted it from me and cleared her throat once. "Oh, um, you can change in the bathroom if you want," I said pointing in the direction behind me.

"Okay," she said, walking past me and into the small washroom.

I sighed loudly when she closed the door behind her. I was debating if this was the right time to tell her or not. It didn't seem like it was. I felt like I should wait a while before she heard the news. Maybe, when her wounds started to heal a little more, I would tell her, but right now definitely wasn't the time.

My feet walk aimlessly around the room with out an exact purpose. I glanced at the broken window and began to pick up the shattered pieces of glass that rested on the ground. I placed them in the trash can and then looked down at my own appearance. I, too, had blood on my shirt. Not as bad as Bella's, but still enough for a need in a change in clothes.

I peeled off Jacob's shirt from my back and opened the drawers to look for one of my own. I hadn't noticed Bella's presence until she cleared her throat. My eyes ripped away from the clothing and glanced in her direction. "Hey," I said, picking up a short-sleeve gray shirt and throwing it on.

"Why did you do this?" she asked her face hard and her tone monotonous.

"Do what?" I questioned, confused.

Bella took a few steps forward and walked until she was about two feet from me. "Why did you fix my cuts?" she asked again.

Was this supposed to be a trick question? "Because you were bleeding," I stated, thinking that the answer to that question was childishly obvious.

She shook her head in frustration. "That's not what I meant." Her sentence stopped a moment while she collected her thoughts. "I mean why did you help me if you're just going to kill me later? It doesn't make any sense to me," she stated, shaking her head.

Yep, now was the time to tell her. There was no way I would get out of this with out giving her the truth; the real reason why she was here and most importantly why she was here with me. I swallowed hard and kept my eyes fixed on hers while I reached into my back pocket.

In my hand was a yellow post-it not. I handed the piece of paper to her, and she accepted it. Her eyes met mine again and then glanced down at the paper. "I...I don't understand? You have my garage code and my alarm code." Bella said the words slowly trying to process everything.

I nodded my head. "Yes."

Her eyes locked with mine for a moment, brown meeting green. "How...how did you get this?" she asked.

Licking my lips once, I spoke. "Who are the only people who know both those codes, Bella?" I asked hoping she would sense the message that I was sending to her.

"Just, Jake and I. He said that it would be stupid if we told anyone our house codes especially since we live right on the prison grounds," she said the words, but I wasn't sure if she was talking to me or not. Her eyes were fixed on the wall behind me.

I forced her to look in my direction, letting her know the answer to her own question. "So, if you didn't give me these," I pointed to the paper, "then that only leaves one other person, Bella."

Her brown eyes stared into mine. "Jacob?" she asked sounding breathless.

I nodded my head slowly. "Yes, Jacob," I confirmed.

Bella didn't speak for a long moment. Probably about two minutes. But then she shook her head fiercely. "No," she whispered. "No!" This time it was a yell. She was yelling at me. "You're lying! Jake would never do that to me! He loves me!" she screamed and shoved me with her good hand.

"I'm not lying to you, Bella. I have no reason to." I stopped a moment, letting her process all the information I was telling her. "Jacob said that he wanted me to kill you. In return, I would be a free man. No questions asked," I spoke slow and pronounced every word correctly.

This time she covered her ears and closed her eyes tightly. "Stop it! Stop saying that!" he yelled as she paced back and forth.

I reached for Bella's arms and pulled them away from her ears and locked them down at her sides. "Bella, listen to me. I. Am. Telling. You. The. Truth. I promise," I stated.

But she refused to believe me. "I just...No. Jake would never...He...No."

A part of me didn't want to resort to this, but I had to. She wasn't going to believe me until she heard it with her own ears. I grabbed the newly bought tape recorder and the tape that I had stolen from Jacob's office that held the truth. "Here," I said placing it in her hand. "Listen to it."

My voice and Jacob's voice began to fill the room.

_"You don't think I see, Mr. Cullen, but I see. I see the way you look at my wife," Jacob's voice said._

_"And in what way is that?" my voice asked._

_"Don't play dumb, Cullen. I know what you would like to do to her." He paused a moment. "You said so yourself; she's beautiful. So, therefore, I need a favor from you. I need you to kill my wife."_

I reached for the button and fast forwarded a little.

_"I've been planning this for months, and I believe that it is finally perfect." He laughed with out humor. "Are you in or not?" he asked._

_"What's in it for me?" I asked._

_"You'll be a free man, Edward. These walls will no longer hold you back."_

_"Tell me your brilliant plan that you have," I demanded._

_"Now were talking. I'm going to get you to my house and when you get there you're going to use the garage code that I give you. When you're inside change out of the orange clothes and get into the clothes that I have laying on my bed. From there, Bella will be home around three p.m. Then you can get her to drive you off the prison grounds where you'll do whatever you want with her. When all is said and done, I want her dead." He paused for a moment to take a breath. "You can drive across the border to Canada and by the time I notice she's gone, you'll be free."_

My fingers pressed the stop button on the tape recorder. I looked into Bella's eyes. They were horrified and filled with disbelief, but it's what took for her to finally believe me. "Why would he do this?" she asked her voice merely a whisper.

I sighed loudly. "He said that he wanted the town's sympathy."

"Sympathy?" she asked.

I nodded my head. "You know how he's running for mayor?" I asked. She nodded. "Well, he's up against Jasper Hale and he wants to be sure that he beats him. So he thought that the town would feel bad for him if they thought you were dead. Obviously, his votes would go extremely high." I paused a moment. "So that's where I came in. And if I didn't do it, then he would have found someone else to do the job. I'm supposed to kill you."

"But you're not going to." She said it as a statement, not a question.

"No. I'm not," I agreed.

She was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "Then why did you threaten me with a gun and make me go in the trunk of my own car and blind fold me the whole way here? Why are you keeping me here?" Bella asked with confusion, one question right after another.

"I was afraid that you would run off, like you did for the second time today, and not know the truth. I had to tell you before you went back to that so called husband of yours," I whispered.

Bella nodded her head but then immediately started shaking it. "Why didn't you just tell me all of this when you were in my house the other day? Why did you kidnap me first?" she asked, her tone angry now.

"Because I needed you to get me out of there," I said.

With out warning, her hand smacked against the side of my face for a reason I really wasn't sure of. But then she did it again and suddenly she was on a rampage. "You belong there! You killed people! Jail is where you belong!" she yelled while slamming her hands into my face.

I grabbed her wrists and held them away from me. "Stop it," I commanded. Bella relaxed her tense body and swallowed thickly. "I...I didn't kill anyone. I don't belong in prison."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "You're lying," she spat.

"Just like how I was lying about Jacob asking me to kill you, right?" I fired back. That statement immediately shut her up. "Look, I was charged for the murder of someone who is still alive, and I need to find him to prove that I am innocent."

Her voice became quiet and understanding. "How do you know he's still alive?" she asked.

"The day after he was supposedly murdered, I saw him boarding a bus to somewhere in Idaho. I didn't think anything of it because it wasn't proclaimed that he was killed. Then suddenly, the police show up at my door, and then I'm charged with his murder," I explained.

Bella seemed now to be fully interested in what I was telling her. "Why didn't you tell them that you saw him going somewhere on a bus? I'm sure if you said that they would look into it," she said.

"I did. But they didn't listen. They had their evidence and that's all they need; my finger prints on a knife and traces of his blood on the blade," I said, still bitter about the false accusation.

I watched as her mind seemed to be in deep thought. Bella no longer seemed to be afraid or angry. Now, she seemed to be...open-minded and perceptive. "Did this murder happen to have anything to do with your ex-wife and ex-friend?" she asked pointing to the garbage can where their picture rested.

"Yes," I said nodding. "Emmett was my best friend and we used to own an auto shop together. Fixing cars was a huge passion of both of ours. Rosalie was my wife, but she always seemed to be a little too comfortable with Emmett. Of course, I didn't think anything of it at the time. I just assumed that they were as close as Emmett and I were." I paused a moment, taking a deep breath before I continued. "But then all of the sudden Emmett kept saying shit to me at the auto shop where we had a huge audience of people. All of the sudden Rosalie and James got involved in our argument. James started telling me that I didn't know how to do my job and then made sure that I threatened him in front of everyone. The next day, James was proclaimed dead. Murdered."

Bella stared in disbelief. "I can't believe the people you love would put you in a situation like that. They framed you," she concluded.

I nodded. "Looks like you and I both have some messed up people in our lives," I joked.

She smiled a little, but then her face went back to being curious. "How are you going to find him?" she asked.

I shook my head. "I really haven't figured that out yet. All I know is that he's somewhere in Idaho under the name of someone else."

Bella was silent for a few minutes, taking in all the information at once. She took it surprisingly well, aside from the times she was slapping and punching me. "Wow."

"I know." My fingers opened the tape recorder and took out the small white tape that rested inside of it. I reached for Bella's good hand and placed the tape in it. She curled her fingers around it. "I want you to go to the police and show them that. They'll believe you. I promise," I stated.

She nodded her head, but quickly added, "Why don't you come with me? I'll make them reopen your case. I...I can tell them what you told me and then they'll look into it and-"

I interrupted her and shook my head. "Bella, it's not that simple. I may never get another shot at this, and if I go back they'll throw me back in there. I need to find James."

Bella sighed but then nodded in agreement. "Okay."

"We should go now. I'll walk you to your car." I stopped a second before continuing. "You have to promise that you'll go straight to the police, no stops on the way."

"I promise," she agreed.

"Okay," I said. "Let's go."

My feet started to guide me forward, but they stopped when Bella spoke. "Edward?" she said abruptly. I turned to face her. With out warning, she pulled me into a tight embrace, wrapping her fragile arms around my neck. Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around her small waist remaining aware of her wounds. "Thank you," she whispered, "For saving me and everything else."

It felt good to have her so close to me in a way where she wasn't afraid. How could someone so amazing end up with such an ass hole like Jacob Black?

Then, my eyes caught sight of someone peeking in the window.

**Leaving cliffhangers is my specialty! But have no fear, I'm a quick updater! Please Review. You don't even have to be a member!**


	6. Act of Love

**A/N: Thank you for the wonderful reviews! You all are so great! I got more than double the reviews for the last chapter than any other one. Now, I was going to wait a while to give you all something like this, but you've been patient.**

**I'm giving this chapter an M rating just to be on the safe side so be warned children. Leave reviews, please and thank you!**

**Also, someone was asking if Emmett and Rosalie are the bad guys. And the answer is yes, but James is the one that was "murdered." Rosalie and Emmett helped frame Edward for his murder for a reason that will be explained later.**

**Disclaimer: Nothing's mine.**

**Chapter 6- Act of Love**

**Bella's POV**

Edward made me promise him that I would go straight to the police with the evidence of Jacob being responsible for my "attempted" murder. I had agreed to doing that, but I desperately wanted him to come with me, and I didn't know the reason for it. Hearing the real side to his story made it seem like he was worthy of my trust.

He wanted to walk me to my car before we would go our separate ways and probably never see each other again. The thought of that made me unhappy. I didn't want this to be my last encounter with him. Edward spared my life when he could have chose to ignore it all.

"Let's go," he said starting to walk toward the door.

I didn't want to leave here with out letting him know that I was grateful for all he had done for me. "Edward?" I said suddenly. His body turned to face me. For a moment, I was lost in his emerald green eyes that were so captivating. His flawless features only enhanced the kindness with in his orbs.

With less than a second passing, I swung my arms around his neck and pulled his body tight against mine. I felt him respond when his arms wound around my waist. "Thank you," I whispered in his ear, "For saving me and everything else."

I wasn't sure why, but I felt the need to have Edward close to me. I had known of him for about two years now, but never really knew the truth about him. In just the past hour, I had learned everything that I would ever need to know about him. He was an accused murderer who had saved me from my psychotic husband who wanted me dead. If he hadn't agreed to kidnapping me, someone else would have. Someone that was guilty unlike Edward. Someone who had horrible intentions unlike Edward. Someone that would have killed me with out a second thought unlike Edward.

He was a kind man who I had once loathed but now seemed to trust so easily. Something about him made me believe that maybe the world wasn't such a bad place. People like him made things seem more bearable.

Suddenly, I felt Edward's body tense beneath my fingertips. I was about to look up and ask him what was wrong, but my back was swiftly pressed against the wall with his figure molding into mine. There was no friction in the space between us nor was there a single centimeter of space. He placed his right hand over my mouth and whispered for me to remain quiet.

I wondered what he was so tense about until I saw it with my own eyes. There was someone peeking in the window of the cabin. My heart began to thud extremely hard. If the police had found Edward, they would certainly take him back to the prison. I wasn't afraid for me. My fear was for him.

He turned his head slightly to get a better look at the person and then sighed in relief. The worry in his eyes was eased. I heard the person's footsteps running away, and the yelling of. 'It's someones cabin. We can't go in there!' Whoever it was hadn't noticed Edward or me.

"It's just some teenagers looking for a place to probably drink or get high," he whispered to my ear while taking his hand away from my mouth.

I swallowed hard and nodded my head. It wasn't until now that realized that our bodies were basically glued together. The feeling of his taut frame pressed against mine sent chills crawling up my spine causing a sensation through out my entire body. Edward hadn't made any attempt to take his figure away from mine. Instead, his green orbs stared deep into my brown ones.

Looking at him this way seemed to make my breath get caught in my throat. The desire and want must have been insanely obvious as his eyes looked into mine. With out thinking, I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his. Edward's response was hesitant but he moved his mouth anyway. His lips were alluring and soft with patience in every touch. I pulled back immediately feeling slightly rude for my behavior, but Edward crashed his mouth back onto mine with a sudden matter of urgency.

The kiss was a little abrupt, but it remained soft. I moved my hands up his chest and to the back of his neck pulling his face as close to mine as it could possibly go. He pushed his body into mine further as a muffled groan formed in the back of his throat. It was evidence that he wanted me now as much as I wanted him.

I couldn't really explain the sudden desire I began to feel for Edward. He was just so kind and inviting that I knew I could trust him. I was completely aware of the fact that I was married, but since my husband wanted me dead, I wasn't making any move to pull away from him.

Becoming impatient, I let my tongue graze against his bottom lip, requesting entrance. Immediately, he opened his mouth and the dance of our tongues began. His hands began to trail up my stomach and over the curve of my breasts several times. The simple touches sent tremors radiating through out my entire body. I couldn't help but compare the way I was feeling right now to how I had felt when I was with Jacob. He had never made me feel the way I was with Edward.

With these exhilarating caresses, our tongues fought for dominance over the other. Quickly, I moved my hands down Edward's torso and clutched the bottom of his gray shirt. His mouth pulled away from mine for only a short moment so that the clothing could get over his head. I threw it carelessly to the wooden floor and began to pay special attention to the newly exposed skin. I let my lips graze against his muscular chest and chiseled abdominals, occasionally darting my tongue out of my mouth. The need of his lips against mine seemed to take over me as I went to slam my mouth back on to his.

Edward pulled away suddenly, making me fear that he changed his mind about this. But then he began to place wet, heated kissed down my throat. I felt my mouth part, involuntarily, while strangled moans escaped my lips. The touch of his mouth on my sensitive spots was exhilirating. His tongue glided across my pulse causing me to grab a fist full of his hair with my good hand. I had never been so aroused in my entire life.

When I forced his face back to mine, I took Edward's bottom lip between my teeth and bit down lightly. Edward groaned loudly while trailing his hand down to the bottom of my blue shirt. I raised my arms above my head and he ripped the clothing from my body. My torso came into view, wearing only my black satin bra, and I suddenly was angry that I had run away from him. If I had just stayed put, I wouldn't have this huge gauze pad attached to the side of my stomach.

Our lips moved in sync with each other, almost as if they were made to fit together like corresponding pieces in a puzzle. His mouth left mine and he kissed his way down my cheek and neck. His lips were soft and gentle, almost like satin. He then dragged them across my exposed shoulders placing a string of open-mouthed kisses along the way. I felt his tongue brush against my alabaster skin. I never knew that something so simple could feel so good.

Waves of lust and passion crashed over our bodies, igniting the burning flames of desire. In one swift motion, Edward lifted me from the ground. He groaned loudly when I wrapped my legs and arms tightly around his body. I needed to have him as close to me as possible.

He only had to walk a short, few steps before we crashed onto the bed. The whole time he was conscious of the wound that rested on the side of my stomach. I could tell because he kept his hands away from that area. I'd completely forgotten the wound on my hand as I continued to grasp fistfulls of his bronze hair.

His lips remained locked with mine, and our breathing was becoming extremely heavy. I quickly brought my fingers to the belt that looped through Edward's jeans. With focus and determination, I yanked it from its place, throwing it the floor. I quickly pulled his zipper down and pushed his jeans, along with his boxers, off his legs. Edward squirmed a little, helping me get the off faster. My hand grazed against his hard erection causing a hiss to escape his gritted teeth.

Edward's lips left mine as they began to make a path down my figure. Kissing the material that covered my breasts, he lifted my body slightly so his hands could reach the clasp of my bra. He undid it quickly, allowing my breasts to come into view. Edward stopped for a moment and stared at me as if I were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. I felt the heat start to come to my face. I hadn't been with anyone physically before aside from Jacob. This was nothing like how it was with him. This felt so much more...passionate.

But the embarrassment flooded away from me when Edward smiled and brought his lips down to my now bare breasts. I bit my lip in anticipation waiting for him to continue with his gentle caresses. He began to suckle on my tender bud while his other hand massage my the breast. A strangled cry of delight escaped my mouth as I threw my head back in ecstasy.

He grazed his lips down to my stomach and let his kiss linger there for a moment before he pressed them to my flesh again. Dangerously slow, he kissed the jean material that hid my core. My breathing turned to heavy pants in just a matter of moments. Edward reached for the button on my jeans and quickly undid the easy function. Slowly, too slow for my liking, he dragged my jeans down my legs.

Tossing them to the floor, he pounced back onto me. With our bodies so close, his arousal was more obvious than ever as it pressed against my thigh. My hands moved up and down his toned, muscular back while my body unconsciously began to rock against him. Edward gasped and groaned at the feeling, causing a smile to emerge from my lips.

Reaching between my thighs, he removed the small piece of clothing that separated us and then rapidly pitched them. Less than a second later, he was pushing inside of me. I felt my back immediately arch, my mouth open in the shape of an 'O' while my eyes clamped shut. He remained motionless until I had adjusted to his intrusion.

I opened my eyes to find his face mirroring mine exactly. Green met brown. Edward bent his lips down to mine and kissed them tenderly. It was nothing like the other hard and frantic kisses. This was almost...reassurance.

Waiting until I was ready, he began to push slowly in and out of my core. His face rested in the crook of my neck while a series of lip-parted gasps emerged from both our mouths. His thrusts inside of me became more urgent and frantic as our rocking motions continued. I felt my nails rake against Edward's back as the feeling of pleasure increased.

Calling out his name several times, I felt my head roll back as his erection pumped faster and faster in and out of me. It was a feeling that I had definitely never felt before mixed with fire and passion. Seeking out my lips, he pressed his mouth to mine trying to muffle his loud groans. They didn't do much due to our screams bouncing off the walls. In the back of my mind, I hoped those teenagers weren't near because they would surely hear us.

Our bodies began to become sleek and slippery due to the sweat that began to build up between the us. The rhythmic act quickened its pace as I felt myself nearing my climax. Deafening moans echoed through the cabin, as our dance neared its end. Edward reached his hand between my thighs and began to rub my clit with his fingers.

"Oh God, Edward," I screamed.

The tightening ache in the bottom of my stomach became too much as both mine and Edward's climax hit. Over far too quickly, Edward's body collapsed onto mine, both of us panting heavily. Edward exhaled loudly as I continued to whimper from the feeling of him inside of me.

I felt Edward's body roll of of mine to the space next to me. My chest continue to heave up and down uncontrollably. The only sounds that could be heard was the ragged breathing coming from our mouths.

The shock of what had just happened between us was sensationally outrageous. I had never felt that way through out the entire time I was married to Jacob. And now that he wanted me dead, that only made me enjoy the sex between Edward and I more.

**Edward's POV**

The events that happened between us took me by complete surprise. It was definitely unexpected and it was the last thing I was anticipating Bella to do with me. I hadn't been with a woman in over two years so it only enhanced the passion between us.

The feeling of her soft skin under my finger tips lingered through my mind as I rolled off her small frame. I tried to control my heavy breathing, but it was next to impossible. I turned my head to the side to glance at Bella. She stared at the ceiling as her chest was rising and falling at a quick rate.

She must have felt me staring at her because not more than a second later her eyes locked with mine. I felt the same desire that I had five minutes ago. Bella was perfect in every sense, and I had never seen someone more beautiful.

Taking me by surprise, she scooted closer to me and rolled back onto my body. Her small frame pressed against mine, and immediately, I felt my arousal begin to fuel back up.

Bella pressed her lips hungrily to mine and plunged her tongue into my mouth. The sweet taste of her swam through my taste buds, pulling me into the beauty of her presence.

I slid my hands up her bare back while our tongues massaged each others. If I could stay like this all day, I would do with out a second thought. Bella seemed to make me feel the way I had never felt before. Even when I was married to my wife, Rosalie.

But the thing was, I barely knew Bella, and yet it felt like I had my whole life. Having someone know the truth about the murder and believing it seemed impossible to me. But Bella trusted me. She knew that I wasn't lying. But she had to go to the police and get Jacob in jail where he belonged.

It was painfully hard for me to have to pull away from her. Especially since her intentions were clear on what she wanted when she trailed her hands down to the space above my waist. "Wait, Bella," I said against her lips.

She pulled away from me and a look of confusion fanned across her face. "What's wrong?" she asked, slightly breathless. "Did I do something wrong?"

I shook my head fiercely. "No. No, not at all. You were...amazing." I smiled widely when I noticed her cheeks flooding with red. "But," I stopped a second before continuing. "But I have to get my ticket to Idaho to find James and you need to go to the police with the tape," I reminded her.

Sadness flew across her face. Bella lowered her head and rested it on my chest. "Right now?" she asked in a whisper

I sighed and then nodded my head. "Yes, right now. I don't know how much time I'll have before I get caught or if I get caught. So I need to act quickly, and I have to be fast if I want a chance of proving myself innocent."

Bella lifted her face from my chest and began to trace my lips with her fingertips. "I can help you," she whispered, staring into my eyes. "I want to help you find James."

I shook my head and sighed loudly. "No. You can't. It's too dangerous and you really need to get the truth out about Jacob. What if he hurts some one else, too?" I raised my hand and pressed it against the side of her face, cupping her cheek. "Is that something you want on your conscience?"

She pursed her lips and shook her head. "No, it's not, but Edward, you are in no place to judge what is too dangerous for me. I'm 24 years old and I know how to take care of myself with out anyone's help."

My eyes clamped shut as I sighed, slightly frustrated. "Bella, you can't. This is something that I need to do alone and-"

"No, you don't," she interrupted. "Look, Edward. It would help if you had me along side with you the whole way so that we could find him faster. Like you said, you don't know how much longer you have until the police find you, and haven't you ever heard of the saying two heads are better than one?" Bella said seriously.

I couldn't help but laugh at her sentence. "Bella, please. I really don't want this topic to be open for discussion. You need to go to the police and tell them everything I told you and give them the tape. I'm going to go to Idaho and find James, like I was supposed to do before we had sex."

A flash of anger mixed with hurt came across her face. "Do you consider this _just_ sex?"

My head shook back and forth. "No, Bella. You know what I mean."

"No, I'm not really sure that I do. How about you explain?" She said pushing her body away from mine.

Before she could get any further away, I grabbed her waist and pulled her close against me. I kissed her hand softly and placed it on the side of my face. "I'm sorry if what I said made you angry. I just...I don't want anything bad to happen to you. It feels like I've known you my whole life, and I don't want to lose you, now."

She leaned forward and pressed her lips gently onto mine. Her fingers traced my face, as if she were memorizing every distinct feature. "Okay," she said when she pulled away. "I'll do what you said. I promise."

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	7. On the Run

**A/N: The last chapter's reviews were outstanding! You guys seriously rock! Thank you so much! Hopefully, you'll take some time and review this chapter as well! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything!**

**Chapter 7- On the Run**

**Bella POV**

After Edward and I had gotten dressed, we walked slowly to my car. I couldn't help but laugh when I realized that the reason it took us so long to get to the cabin was because he had taken me in circles so I wouldn't know my way out. He clearly went far out of his way just so I wouldn't be able to escape.

He promised that I could go to the bus station with him where he would get his ticket but then after that, I had to go to the police. Edward made it very clear where he wanted Jacob to end up, and I couldn't agree more. Jacob wasn't who I thought he was, but I guess a part of me already knew that there was a side to him that I had never seen before. He always used to seem so cryptic like he was hiding something but then he would pull a smile across his face and cover the darkness. That always prevented me from seeing his true colors.

When we got in the car, Edward took my hand in his and kept the other fixed on the steering wheel. Through out the ride, he would lift it and press the skin on the back of my hand to his lips. I knew that it was just as hard for him to leave me as it was for me to leave him. The last thing I wanted to do was watch him go.

It seemed so strange to want someone so bad who I hardly knew. But maybe it was supposed to be this way. Perhaps, Edward and I were the Romeo and Juliet of our time with all odds against us, trying to keep us apart. Except maybe in our love story, the ending could be changed. Hopefully...

I glanced over at Edward who stared straight toward the windshield. He had on a gray baseball cap with black aviator sunglasses. He was probably hoping that no one would notice him if he covered most of his face. I had on a gray hoodie so that the people at the bus station would not recognize me when I said goodbye to Edward.

"You can listen to music if you want to. I mean it is your car," Edward joked, taking his eyes from the road for a short second.

I laughed at his light-hearted mood and reached my hand for the knob on the radio. Ironically, I began to hear the voice that I wanted gone.

_This just in, 24-year old Isabella Black has been reported missing for almost 48 hours. Sources say that she was forcefully taken from her home by prisoner Edward Cullen who two years ago was charged with the murder of a man named James Witherdale. It's unknown how the ex-convict could have escaped with such heavy security. Jacob Black, the frantic husband of Isabella, made an announcement at one of his campaign meeting directed to Bella._

_"Bella, if you can hear this, I love you,"_ Jacob's voice said through the radio. _"And I want you to-_

Quickly, I reached for the radio and turned the power button off. "I don't really want to listen to music anymore," I muttered.

Edward was silent for the rest of the car ride with the occasional spoken word. His mind seemed to be elsewhere, most likely planning how he would possible find James. That seemed next to impossible to me.

After about fifteen minutes, we arrived at the bus station. Edward parked all the way in the back so that no one would be able to see that this was my car. He opened his door and walked around the car to open mine. It would be shocking to someone who didn't know Edward to find out that he was an ex-convict.

He stood close in front of me and reached into his pocket. "Here, put these on," he said, handing me a pair of aviator sunglasses just like his. They were the type that mirrored your refelection whenever you stared into them. It was convient because apparently there were a lot of people traveling today.

I put on the sunglasses and then entwined our fingers together as we walked. Edward pushed open the glass door and walked to the ticket counter where he would get on the bus and leave.

A woman working behind the counter smiled widely at Edward. She had a short blonde bob and dressed in a low-cut long sleeved shirt. The woman cleared her throat once before speaking. "How can I help you, today?" she asked seductively while leaning in.

Was this woman completely unaware of the fact that Edward was standing right next to me holding my hand, and here she was practically flaunting herself? Maybe she was the slutty type who liked the challenge. I decided to push the thought away because I glanced up at Edward who didn't seemed to be phased by the blonde.

"Do you have any buses going to anywhere in Idaho today?" he asked, his sunglasses still on.

She smiled widely. "Give me just a second. I'll check for you." With that, the woman walked away from her side of the counter and began to type some words on a keyboard. In a matter of seconds, she was finished. "Well, looks like you're in luck, we have one leaving in about a half hour to Boise. Were you planning on buying a ticket?" she asked, biting her bottom lip.

Unbelievable.

Edward nodded. "Yeah. I need two of them," he said. My eyes darted up to look at him, but he remained motionless.

"Alright, $130.00," she said as Edward reached in his back pocket to retrieve his wallet. He pulled out the money and pushed it toward the flirtatious woman. The blonde printed the tickets out and placed them in Edward's hand. "Here you go. Enjoy the ride. And, um, make sure you come back real soon."

"Thanks," he said as we turned to wait outside.

As soon as we were out the door, I turned to face him eagerly, forgetting the overly flirty woman. "Am I going with you, now?" I asked.

But Edward shook his head. "No, that was just in case anyone saw you with me." He handed me the ticket anyway. I glanced down at it. The bus number was 5. I looked up to see that it was already here, and they were boarding people. Edward sighed once before he spoke. "Look, I have to go now, and so do you."

I shook my head and gripped his hand tightly. "I don't want you to go. What...What if I never see you again? What if they put you back in jail? Edward, please, just-"

He immediately interrupted me. "I'm going to be fine and so are you. Don't be so anxious. Everything will turn out okay. I know it will."

"No, you don't. You're just as unsure about the future as I am. Please, Edward, I want to help you," I said, trying one last time to get him to change his mind.

"Bella, you can't." He paused a moment before speaking again. "But when I find him, I'll come get you. Just promise me one thing." I waited for him to finish before I agreed. "Don't go anywhere near Jacob." His eyes were serious and all joking was gone from them.

I nodded. "Okay," I sighed in defeat. "I won't go near him," I said trying to hold back my tears that were threatening to come.

With that, Edward kissed the top of my forehead and hugged me tightly. I buried my face into his shoulder and pulled him tight against me. I never would have dreamed that this is where I would be right now; possibly falling in love with a wanted prisoner who had kidnapped me to get me away from my husband who wanted me dead. It was unbelievable the way my life was turning out. But now that I knew Edward, I wouldn't want it any other way.

He pulled away from me slowly and smiled down at me. I knew he couldn't see the tears building in my eyes because of the aviators, but he must have known they were there. Edward pushed his thumbs under the sunglasses and wiped them away. "It's going to be okay," he whispered.

"I believe you," I agreed.

"Good." He bent down to my level and wrapped his arms around my waist. He placed his lips on mine quickly, and then stepped back. "I'll see you soon," he said. And then he walked away.

I watched as he stepped onto the blue Coach bus. He was on a mission, and he was determined to succeed through out it. The ache in my heart was severe. I had never hurt so much in my life. Watching Edward get on the bus was probably one of the hardest things I had to do through out my twenty four years. Maybe, it wouldn't be so hard if I had known if I would ever see him again. But that's the thing. It was a mystery that wouldn't be solved until I heard of his whereabouts.

Was it possible to be in love with someone you barely knew? It had to be because I certainly was. No one had ever made me feel the way I felt right now. And I couldn't let him go. I had to be with him, no matter what the consequences were.

With out my consent, my feet began to jog forward to the bus where Edward was. I had my ticket so there was no way that I wouldn't be able to get on. I climbed up the stairs to the platform and handed the bus driver my ticket. He smiled once at me while I looked for the seat that Edward was in.

He was sitting near the back staring down at the floor. I hurriedly walked down the aisle and plopped a seat next to him. "This seat taken?" I asked quietly.

Edward looked up from the floor and glanced up at me. "Bella, no. You can't be on this bus."

I shook my head. "Yes, I can, Edward. I want to be where you are no matter what. It's where I feel like I should be, you know? Being with you is where I belong," I said taking his hand in mine.

He glanced around once, looking past me. "Can we talk about this out there?" he said pointing outside of the bus. I looked around to ask why, but then noticed other people listening to our conversation.

So I nodded. "Yeah."

We walked down the aisle of the bus. Edward told the bus driver that he would be right back and that he just had to use the washroom before he left. The bus driver nodded and told him that he had five minutes before the bus would leave, with or with out him. Edward promised that it wouldn't take long.

Edward walked with me to a part of the bus station where no one was in an ear shot of our conversation. "Bella, how many times do I have to tell you that you can not come with me? Do you understand that I don't know who I'm dealing with right now? Something bad could happen to you and-"

"Edward, stop," I interrupted placing my hand over his mouth. "I'm a big girl, and I can do what I want. So, you should realize that if you don't let me on that bus, then I'm just going to get on another one to Idaho." I paused a moment and removed my hand from his mouth. "I want to be with you no matter where you are. Even if your going to hell, then I'm going right along with you." I kissed his cheek lightly. "I don't want be somewhere that you're not," I whispered.

He swallowed hard, debating on what he should say. "Bella, you need to go to the police and give them the tape-"

I immediately interrupted him. "Edward, I-"

"-after you help me find James," he said with a smile as he finished his first sentence.

A wide grin of happiness tugged at my lips as I embraced Edward tightly. "I can go with you?"

I felt him nod his head. "Yeah."

The happiness would have stayed on my face if it weren't for my eyes catching the sight of blue coats with the letters S.W.A.T. attached to them. There were dogs sniffing aimlessly around. "Edward?" I whispered nudging my head in the direction of the S.W.A.T. team and the dogs. He looked to where I was pointing and nodded his head. "We gotta go," I whispered.

"Yeah," he said placing his hand on the small of my back.

We kept our eyes fixed on the ground as we stepped back onto the bus that would take us to Idaho. Our seats were still empty due to the back pack that Edward had resting on it. "What are they doing here?" I asked Edward, frantically in a hushed whisper.

He shook his head. "I have no idea. They must have figured out peices of my plan, but there is no way that they could possibly know all of it. I was so careful," Edward said in disbelief, sinking down into his seat.

"Well, they didn't see us out there so maybe they'll leave," I said with hope.

I watched as the S.W.A.T. team began to walk toward the different buses. My heart beat increased dramatically when I noticed what they were doing; checking the buses. "Shit!" Edward cursed in a hiss.

My body started to shake with fear when I noticed one of the members coming toward our bus. He walked quickly and with lots of dramatic steps. This couldn't be happening. Why now? We were so close to getting out of here. If worse came to worse, I would make them take me to jail, too.

But suddenly, with some type of miracle of some sort, the bus began to drive forward. "Yes!" Edward said in relief.

A couple of people turned their heads to stare at him like he was crazy. Little did they know, he was. We both were. Edward and I were like two people who belonged on one of those signs that read WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE.

My mind began to wander to James. How were Edward and I going to find him? So I turned to him and began our whispering discussion. "So, how do you know if James is still in Idaho?" I asked, my voice hushed.

He took a deep breath and turned to face me. "I don't. I'm just really hoping that he is."

"So we're going to Idaho and we aren't even sure if he's there?" I asked.

Edward nodded his head. "Yep. That's the plan."

I raised my eyebrows wondering how long this would take exactly because so far, his plan really sucked. "Do you even have an idea on how you're going to find him?" I asked.

He licked his lips once before speaking. "He used to work for Emmett and I so I figured that I could tap into his credit card and spending history to see where he's been buying things. He'll probably be somewhere around there. Then, I could figure out the name he's under which will eventually lead me him. James is probably an idiot who will sign his fake name on the items he buys."

"You can tap into his spending history?" I asked.

Edward shook his head. "Not me, personally, but I know a place in Idaho that can. It's probably going to be a little challenging, but with some persuasion, it's definitely possible."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "You're sure it will work?"

He inhaled and then exhaled slowly. "I'm not really sure about anything anymore, but this is the closest thing I have to being possible, so it has to work. And if it doesn't then I'll call Emmett or Rosalie."

The statement shocked me. "Why would you call them?" I asked in confusion.

"Do you remember what I said about all three of them making sure that I threatened James in front of everyone?" he asked.

I nodded my head. Of course, I remembered. I was so absorbed in everything he was telling me. How could I not?

"Well, it seemed a little too convenient for me. So I know that they must have paid him off to do something dramatic like that and to fake his own death. Emmet was always power hungry, and the company was 70% mine. But with me out of the way, it would all be his. Rosalie and Emmett were most likely sneaking around behind my back so she would do anything he said" He stopped a moment. "It wouldn't make sense for James to just disappear with out something in return."

I nodded my head in agreement. "What makes you think they'll tell you anything?"

He laughed with out humor. "Let's just say, I have my ways. After all, I did go to prison for murder, " he joked.

But I didn't find it funny at all. "I swear to God, Edward, if you do something stupid like that, I will kill you myself. Do you want to go back to that prison?" I asked with anger laced in my voice.

"Relax, Bella, it was a joke," he said as he leaned to put a stray hair behind my ear.

I scowled in his direction. "Well, not a very good one," I said.

His face was abruptly serious. "I'm sorry if I made you mad."

Edward leaned forward and pecked my lips. I smiled wondering how I could go from being so angry to so happy in just a matter of two seconds. "It's okay," I replied.

**R-E-V-I-E-W**


	8. James Witherdale

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**Disclaimer: I own nothing at all!**

**Chapter 8- James Witherdale**

**Edward's POV**

It would have been hard to have to leave Bella behind. But it felt harder to have to take her with me. It's difficult to explain but that's how it really was. I wasn't sure how dangerous things might turn out or if I would be risking her life. I thought it was selfish to let her come with me because I could end up getting her in serious trouble.

Bella was asleep with her head resting on my shoulder as we waited to arrive in Boise, Idaho. It was a long drive, and she was clearly exhausted. We really hadn't gotten much sleep due to the lots of unnecessary walking I had put Bella through. I let my cheek fall onto the top of her head as I sighed in contentment. I couldn't fall asleep no matter how badly I wanted to. My mind was swimming around in every direction possible.

My intentions on Bella's existence were pure from the start. I had no ambition to kill Bella, even through out the time that Jacob was telling me the deal. When I was in his office, I was thinking of getting her away from Jacob while remaining alive. At first, I thought it would have been next to impossible, but then he made the mistake of letting the tape recorder run through out our conversation.

With out him noticing, I snatched the tape and replaced it with a new one. I knew that he would be oblivious to the whole thing, and I would hurt him where it hurt the most; exposing his true identity. That would ruin his chances of becoming mayor of Forks, Washington, and of course, it would send him to jail for a long time.

But Jacob wasn't the worst of my thoughts right now. My fears surrounded around not being able to find James. Sure, I had a plan, but there was alway the chance that it wouldn't work out. Hopefully, a very small chance.

I was going to go to a place that one of the other prisoners had been talking about. Naturally, it was a place that was considered illegal to be in, but I wasn't worried about that. The people that worked there could tap into basically anything for you; names, jobs, loans, spending history. You name it, they have it.

If my plan had failed, then I would resort to contacting Rosalie or Emmett. They had no reason to change their names at all so I figured they would be easy to find. The hard part would be getting them to tell me the truth about James.

Most likely, they would tell me that I was crazy and then turn me in to the police. But I wouldn't go with out a fight. I needed to prove my innocence. A life in prison just wasn't my cup of tea.

My thoughts were interrupted when Bella's voice broke through. "Are we there yet?" she asked.

I shook my head. "No, almost though," I said quietly.

I could feel Bella examining my face as she lifted her head from my shoulder. I turned my face so I could look at her. "What are thinking about?" she asked, her voice still tired.

I exhaled loudly and shook my head. "Nothing. I'm just really hoping that my plan works out. I don't think I'll be able to stand it if I have to go back in jail."

Bella shook her head and rubbed soothing circles over my cheek with her thumb. "You're not going to have to go back there. I won't let them take you. You're innocent," she said, her voice still quiet due to the other sleeping bodies around us.

"_You_ know I'm innocent, but the police don't. My case has been closed for over two years. I don't think they would be very willing to just suddenly open it back up. Things aren't as simple as you think, Bella," I said wishing that they were.

Her face was soft and understanding as she spoke. "I know things aren't simple, but we can make them that way. You'll see. Everything is going to work out the way it's supposed to be, and you're not going to go back to prison."

I wanted to believe her words, but the truth was she was just as unsure about everything as I was. Together, we knew nothing and didn't have the answers to anything. All we could do was hope for the best. If everything failed, then at least I would be able to say that I tried my very hardest.

"The police see me as an escaped murdered who kidnapped the warden's wife. They aren't going to want to listen to me if I don't find James," I said mainly talking to myself.

But Bella answered me. "You won't get in trouble for kidnapping me because you saved me Edward. And we're going to find James no matter how long it takes."

My eyes caught sight of a sign that read the words "Welcome to Boise, Idaho". We would be arriving at the bus station any minute now. I glanced down at my watch that read the time. 3:30 p.m.

"Where are we going when we get off the bus?" Bella asked.

"We're going to go to the place I was telling you about. I can't waste any time sitting around. We have to be quick but vigilant," I said not only to her, but also to myself.

She nodded her head in agreement. "Do you know where this place is exactly?" Bella asked.

"Yes, it's not far from the bus station. We'll go there on foot. It won't take any more than five minutes to arrive there," I stated, knowing how much Bella hated walking far distances.

"I wouldn't care if it was twenty miles away and we were walking. I promise I won't complain at all," she added, understanding what I was getting at.

I leaned toward her kissed her forehead gently. She gave me all the support and comfort that I could ever possibly need. Her compassion to understand where I was coming from was overwhelming. Bella was an extremely empathetic person who tried as best as she could to be conscious of what someone else was going through.

The bus entered the Boise station, and then came to a complete stop. I wrapped my back pack around my shoulders and entwined my fingers in Bella's. It was starting to become a nervous habit. Bella and I stood to our feet and swiftly rushed to get off. People probably thought we were very rude for pushing them out of our way. But there was no time to be considerate.

This was business.

Bella and I basically jogged to the place I had heard about from the other prisoners. It's where they all said they go whenever they need a loan for their debt or anything else you could possibly think of. They said it was located in Boise and was a huge white building shaped like a diamond. Naturally, I did some research and found the address of the place. Now, all I had to do was get the answers I needed.

It didn't take long for my eyes to notice the obvious building. It stuck out and wasn't very subtle. That seemed unusual considering that they did all kinds of illegal deals here; fake passports, fake ID's, fake anything. But, obviously, whoever owned it was proud of their accomplishments.

With my hand still laced in Bella's, we walked through the glass revolving doors. The place was covered in marble from head to toe. This was definitely not what I had expected. The ceiling went extrmemly high up, probably about a good fifty feet. The walls were made out of something white that you were able to see your reflection through. There were statues and sculptures in every direction you turned while paintings of some man were hanging everywhere. I assumed he was the one in charge of this corporation.

I glanced at Bella who appeared just as appalled about this place as I was. We both were expecting something a little more low key. This was the total opposite with all the flamboyant items and flashy tiles.

About one hundred feet in front of us rested a woman who appeared to be extremely absorbed in some book of some sort. She had firey red hair and looked as if she were just a teenager. Bella squeezed my hand once before we began to approach the counter. She didn't look up at us so I cleared my throat to make my presence known.

Her eyes still remained fixed on a magazine with some expensive shoes on them. "How can I help you?" she asked, her voice lacking emotion.

I swallowed once before I began to speak. "Hi. Um, I heard about this place from..uh, a friend of mine, and I was interested in the 'stuff' you do here," I said, unsure of what exactly I was supposed to say.

The woman still didn't bother to look up as she admired the shoes. "Do you have some ID?" she asked monotonously.

Shit! I hadn't bothered to grab anything like that. "ID? Well, is that really necessary, miss?" I asked trying to sound persuasive.

The red-haired grump didn't seem to be phased by it. "No ID, no service," she said.

I began to become angry with this emotionless woman. Did she not realize that half the people that would come to this place would come with out an ID? Majority of everyone was either dealing with the mafia, drugs, or coming out of prison, and she was asking for an ID. What the hell would that do? What if I had come to get a fake ID?

I spoke loudly, my voice laced with hatred and frustration. "Look, miss. Could you please take your eyes off of that magazine so you could hear me out? I'm in a really big hurry and I need something from you guys."

But she didn't budge. "Yep, that's why everyone comes here."

A sigh of frustration escaped my lips, but then I heard Bella speak for the first time. If she hadn't, I would have probably forgotten that she was there in the first place. "Hey, uh, those are some great looking shoes," Bella began. I felt her hand reach into my back pocket and pull out my wallet. "Help us out, and...there yours," she offered, pushing $200 over the counter.

This time the woman glanced up from her shoes. She looked Bella and I over a couple of times before she snatched the money and placed it in the magazine as a book mark. "Follow me," she demanded.

I could feel the wide smile spread across my face as I stared at Bella. "Thank you," I whispered to her.

She just nodded her head and grinned back.

The woman led us to a back room that looked nothing like the beautiful extravaganza in the foyer. This looked more like the lodge we had been in four hours ago. The walls were made of long strips of wood, the holes obvious in them while the floor creaked when you stepped on it. The light over head flickered as if it were about to burn out any minute.

I figured that this was where they took people who were involved in illegal activity. I guess, it really didn't matter how the room looked as long as you were getting the things that you needed. Most likely, they saved the nicer rooms for the clients not involved in breaking the law.

"Take a seat," the woman offered. "The boss will be with you two in just a moment." She stopped a minute and glanced at Bella. "And thanks for the shoes. I never would have had enough money for them."

Bella smiled willingly. "Don't mention it."

The woman grinned before walking out the door. "Don't worry, I won't. I'd probably be fired if the boss learned that I took money from one of _his_ clients."

She had left Bella and I alone in this room that looked like it was meant for a horror movie. I could tell that Bella felt the same way as she glanced around the enclosed space. There were no windows in this room, and it smelled of old books. It made me a little uneasy, but not as much as Bella.

Bella fidgeted nervously in her wooden chair. I watched as she scooted it closer to me but trying to be discreet about it.

"Relax, Bella. It's going to be okay," I began. "We'll just get the information we need and then we're out of here. Sound good?" I assured her.

She nodded her head. "Yeah, sounds good."

Just then, the door behind us swung open with a bald-headed man stepping through the pathway. He wore an Armani tuxedo with a plain black tie. There wasn't a single crease in his clothing as he walked gracefully to the chair on the other side of the desk. He was a little overweight and had some wrinkles scattered through out his peach-colored face.

"Good afternoon," the man said, his voice booming, as he sat down in the maple chair.

I nodded my head as a gesture of saying hello while Bella mumbled an awkward "hi".

The man sighed once but kept his face friendly and welcoming. "What can I do for the two of you today?" he asked, folding his hands neatly out in front of him. I didn't like this guy nor did I trust him. The way he acted reminded me of Jacob which immediately was a major turn off.

But he was the man that was going to give me the answers I needed so I just had to endure it.

I licked my lips once and cleared my throat before speaking. "I need you to tap into someones spending history and tell me the areas of where he's been buying the items," I said, my voice more confident than I felt.

The man nodded simply as if it were the usual. "The name?" he asked.

I cleared my throat again. "James. James Witherdale."

"James Witherdale," the man repeated to himself as he typed it onto the computer. The bald man continued to click and type words into the computer while Bella and I waited anxiously for the results. It seemed to be taking longer than I would have expected it to, but I had to remember to be patient. "Okay," the man's voice interrupted, "I have the spending history, and I have where he currently resides."

My eyes had a shock of disbelief run through them. This was going to be easier than we both thought. "Can you tell me the areas that he's bought items and the name he went under?" I asked making sure I heard him correctly. I glanced over at Bella who had a wide smile spread across her face which probably just mirrored my own grin.

"Yes, it's right here. Apparently, he isn't signing his checks under James Witherdale. Would you like me to print it out for you?" he asked.

I nodded my head and laughed with happiness. "Yes. Oh God, thank you so much," I said grabbing Bella's hand.

The man glanced over at me as if I were crazy. And the truth is, I probably was. I had never been so happy in my entire life. Knowing what James has been buying and where's he been staying was a huge break through, and it would definitely cut down my search. Relief washed over my entire body.

He handed me the paper, and I looked it over once. Bella scooted closer to me so she, too, could read what the words were saying. My eyes caught sight of the address. He was still living here in Boise under the name David Johnson. This was great news. The faster I find James, the faster I would end up a free man.

"I can see that you're satisfied with the information," he pointed out.

My head nodded several times. "Yes, yes sir. This is very good news for me." I paused a moment before speaking again. "How much do I owe you?" I asked willing to pay any price at this moment in time.

He didn't have to even stop to think about the price I needed to pay. "One grand," he admitted.

Right now, I was extremely thankful for Jacob being rich. He had given me enough money that would surely last more than two years, so paying a thousand dollars was not a bad price at all. "Okay," I said reaching into my wallet. I retrieved the money and pushed it toward him.

He looked at me once curiously and then lifted the money. He counted it slowly and with expertise. Bella squeezed my hand once, probably feeling just as content as I felt. I let my mind get rid of all the worries that were once flooding my head. I would be free soon, and it wouldn't be long.

"Alright," the man whispered. "If that's all there is, then we are done here."

"Thank you, sir," I said extending my hand to shake his. He accepted it and firmly shook it.

"You're welcome."

With that, Bella and I walked out of that building with hope and confidence. We were going to find James, and I would be set free. It was going to be the way it was supposed to happen two years ago. Better late than never.

**A/N: Okay, so this wasn't my favorite chapter, but it was necessary. The next one is going to be better, trust me. Please leave a review anyway!**


	9. Wrong

**A/N: My inspiration level has been sky high so thank you all so much for the amazing feedback. I didn't like the last chapter as much as my other ones so I thought I'd post this chapter a little faster than normal. Just think of it as an early Christmas present to all of you. Also, I'm entering finals week at my university so my updates might be a little slow, but I'll really try to keep them normal.**

**Please review this chapter when you're finished.**

**WARNING: THERE IS A SLIGHT LEMON AT THE END OF THIS CHAPTER! It's not too bad.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

**Chapter 9- Wrong**

**Bella's POV**

I had never seen someone act so happy in my entire life. Edward's face was so content with gratitude and excitement. He was like a little toddler on Christmas who got lots of presents. I, too, was swelling with happiness. One, because Edward was intoxicated with joy. Two, because we would find James quicker than the police could find us. And three, Edward wouldn't have to go back to prison. We would have our proof, and he would be considered innocent.

"Alright," the bald man whispered. "If that's all there is, then we are done here."

Edward's grin was from ear to ear as he extened his arm to shake the man's hand. "Thank you, sir."

"You're welcome," the overly-dressed owner replied.

Edward placed his hand on the small of my back as he guided me out the door of the small room. I beamed up at him and rested my head against his arm as we walked. "I can't believe it," he whispered. "We're going to find James. I'm going to be free," he said, his smile still plastered on his perfect face.

I nodded my head. "I know. I'm so happy that it's finally going to happen. You deserve it," I added. "You deserve to have everything you could have ever wanted." We began to walk through the revolving doors, exiting the building.

He laughed quietly at my statement and then sighed. "Wow. It happened so fast. I mean, I was expecting a bit more of a challenge, but it was so simple," he stated. Then, he looked down at me and kissed my forehead. "Thank you," he whispered.

"For what?" I asked with a laugh. "I didn't do anything. It was all you."

Edward shook his head. "Bella, you did everything. With out you, this would have never been possible for me. So thank you. For everything and anything you have done."

"You're ridiculous, do you know that?" I asked. He just had to do that. Edward made it seem like I was the person who had gotten all of this information, like I was the hero, when in reality, it was all of his doing. Why was it so hard for him to take credit for his own actions and doings?

"Why?" he laughed as we walked down the sidewalk.

"Because you can't even take credit for something that you did. Believe me when I say it was all you. I did absolutely nothing except sit there and smile when he gave you James' information," I said wrapping my arms around his toned waist.

He chuckled loudly and kissed the top of my head. "Did I look brave in there?" he asked. I nodded my head as if it was childlishly obvious on how much confidence he had. "Well, I was scared, and the only reason I remained calm was because you were sitting right there next to me. So believe me when _I_ say that it was all _you_," he quoted my last words.

I shook my head in disbelief but let it go. "Where are we going, now?" I asked.

Edward looked down at his watch and then back at me. "It's 4:30 p.m. Are you up for going to find James today or no?" he asked. "I mean you really didn't get much sleep so if you're tired then we could go stay in a hotel, if you'd like," he offered.

"No," I began, "I think we should go find James first. The sooner the better. Sleep can wait. Like you said, we have no time to waste and we have to be vigilant," I reminded him. I hugged myself tighter to him for a short moment, before I pulled away. "Where does it say he lives?" I asked.

He let go of me for a moment and glanced over the printed information we were given. "It says 4824 Main Street under the name David Johnson. He must have made the mistake of signing that name when he checked into the place."

I nodded my head. "Okay, so let's go. The faster we find him the closer you are to having your innocence known."

Edward smirked down at me before taking my hand again. "Let's just get a cab first. I think we've done enough walking for a while now," he joked. I knew that he was talking about taking me in circles when I thought that he truly was a killer. Now, the thought seemed silly. Edward was harmless.

We waved to one of the yellow taxi's that came speeding down the road. Quickly, we stepped inside of it and told the driver where he would need to take us. He nodded his head once and continued with the drive.

Both Edward and I waited anxiously to arrive at the place. He would occasionally rub my back as if I was the one who needed comforting. Edward was a care taker. He put the feelings of others ahead of his own. That trait made him even more beautiful than what he already was. He had the kindest soul I had ever come in contact with.

Thinking of my life, with out knowing who Edward really was, seemed to be depressing. I hadn't realized that I had been so caged inside until now. It was as if Jacob had treated me like I was just another prisoner. All he ever wanted to do was control my life and every move that I made.

But now that I had Edward, there was a side of me that had been unleashed. My whole world had been tipping back and forth before this, but then Edward came and steadied it. I finally felt complete as if there were nothing else I could want more than I wanted him. I guess you could say that Edward saved me in every way that a woman could be saved.

I was torn out of my thoughts when the taxi came to a complete stop in front of a baltic brown colored building. Edward reached forward and paid the driver what he owed. The man mumbled a thank you as we stepped out of the cab.

The building looked as if it were made of granite. You could tell that it was cleaned often due to the reflection of myself that I could see. The building seemed to sparkle in its own sense.

Edward laced our fingers together and began to walk forward toward the automatic doors. The place was extremely beautiful on the inside and had so many mirrors on the walls. It made me slightly uncomfortable so I focused my attention straight ahead as I walked.

There was a man with shiny black hair standing at the front desk of the building. I read the front of the desk that had the words "Home for Care" written across it. I shrugged off the name of the place as we reached the counter.

"Hi, how can I help you two today?" the man asked with an overly cheerful voice. I glanced down at the gold name tag that read the word Jack across it.

Edward grinned back. "Hi, um, we're here to see David Johnson," he said, his voice just as excited, but not for the reason that Jack was thinking.

Jack's face beamed with happiness which really confused me. "Really?" he asked. "Wow, I'm sure he'll be very excited to see you. He hasn't had a visitor in over two years," he said, his voice shocked, but still glad. "He's in room 203. You can go on up."

Both Edward and I looked at each other in slight bewilderment, but neither one of us said anything about it. We strolled past the overly joyed man and walked straight to the silver elevator. When we were inside, Edward pressed the button with the numer "2" on it.

"Two years," I said in disbelief. "No one has come to see him in two years?"

Edward shrugged. "I guess not. He was probably just trying to keep himself low key so that it wouldn't blow his cover. I mean after all he is supposedly dead, right?" he stated.

"Yeah, but it just doesn't seem right to me," I said, suddenly feeling slightly unsure.

He didn't say anything after that due to the dinging of the elevator reaching the second floor. Hastily, we stepped out of the platform and began to walk to room 203.

I was slightly nervous now. I wasn't sure what to expect or how to act. My mind began to fill with worries of Edward losing his cool and then making a rash decision. I grabbed Edward's arm, abruptly, and pulled him to a halt. "Wait, Edward."

He turned and looked at me with confusion. "What's wrong?" he asked.

I swallowed thickly before speaking again. "When we get in there, promise me that you won't make any stupid decisions and that you'll keep your cool. The last thing we need is for you to really kill him. Promise?" I asked.

Edward seemed slightly torn. I knew that he would literally want to murder this man after having to spend those two years in prison. But then that would ruin everything that we had come so far with. He sighed and nodded his head. "Yes. I promise."

"Okay."

And then we kept walking until we approached the room with brass numbers that read 203. "Ready?" he asked me while his hand rested on the knob of the door.

I nodded my head. "Yeah."

With that, Edward opened the door slowly but then barged inside. Instinctively, I grabbed his arm trying to hold him back if worse came to worse.

The room was a bright white color that was almost...boring. The floor held tiles that were black and white and scattered through out the floor. It wasn't until I felt Edward tense beneath my fingertips that I noticed the man resting on what looked like a hospital bed. He was attached to an oxygen machine and had tubes going through his body.

This couldn't be right. Why would James be hooked up to life support?

Edward let out an exhale of frustration. "Dammit!" he hissed.

I couldn't get my words to form a coherent sentence in my head so I spoke what I was thinking. "What...I...Why is James on-"

"That's not him," Edward interrupted, his voice angry and flustered.

I stared at him with disbelief as he rubbed the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb. "It...It's not...not James? Are you sure? I mean maybe it's just the tubes and the whole hospital scenario that has you confused. The-"

He shook his head, cutting off my sentence. "No. I'm sure. I've never been more sure in my life. This is not James, at least not the one that I am looking for."

My eyes stared down at the man who rested peacefully on the white bed. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a clipboard with his records on it. I walked past Edward and picked it up from the nightstand. "Edward, this is David Johnson. It says here," I said pointing to the name. I continued to scan the page. "It also says that he's been in a coma for two years."

Edward's eyes flickered and I could almost here a click go on in his head. "The guy at the front desk said that he hasn't had a visitor in two years. James was supposedly murdered two years ago. It would make sense for him to take this man's identity because no one would notice. This David doesn't have a family, friends, or a job. James could easily get away with it."

I began to understand what Edward was saying. James must have done a hell of a lot of research to find a man that no one cared enough about to even visit. Everything was starting to fall into its place.

The happiness that once traced Edward's features was now completely gone. Anger and disbelief had replaced the other joyful emotions. I felt myself becoming more discouraged by the second as I watched Edward's pained expressions.

"Let's go," Edward said, the hatred obvious in his tone. "There's no reason for us to be here, anymore."

Edward yanked my hand and power walked out of the building, not bothering to even say goodbye to the overly cheeful man at the entrance. He wasn't just mad anymore. He was infuriated. Every move he made had the word furious attached to it. I didn't bother to say anything especially since I knew that he would just be even more angry than what he already was.

There was no way that anything could fix his temper at this moment in time. Knowing that made me sad because I didn't like seeing him so distraught. He was so happy that he would finally become a free man and then those hopes were burned at the sight of the wrong man.

Edward had checked us into a hotel for the night so that we could rest. We obviously had a long way to go and he was debating if he really wanted to resort to calling Rosalie or Emmett.

I took a shower to try to relieve all of my brand new worries now. I wasn't afraid for myself. It was Edward that I feared for. If he had to go back to jail, I don't know what I would be able to do. He gave my life meaning and if he was gone than so was everything that I had waited for.

The water from the shower seemed to drip some of the stress away, but not enough of it. I was still desperately nervous.

But then, a light bulb shined so bright in my head that I was sure it lit up the bathroom. I grabbed a white towel and threw it over my body. I rushed to open the door and run out to the room where Edward was. "I have an idea!" I exclaimed, causing Edward to turn from whatever he was doing.

He stared at me and laughed a short moment. "What are you so excited about?" he asked.

I smiled widely and walked to stand in front of him, the towel still wrapped around me while my hair remained wet. "I have an idea on how to find James." Edward didn't say anything so I continued. "Jacob's computer at the prison can find just about anyone. Fake name or not. If there are two David Johnson's somewhere out there, then the computer will know it."

Edward nodded his head. "Uh-huh, and how do you plan on getting to his computer?" he asked, sounding slightly sarcastic.

I sighed knowing what his response to my next statement would be. "I can go back to Jacob as if I never knew that he wanted me dead. I can say that I got away from you and then I could get to his computer and look up James. When-"

"Absolutely not!" Edward interrupted, his tone no longer playful. "I will not let you go back to him."

I stared up at him in disbelief. "Why not?" I asked. "I could get James' address and then when we find him, you'll be free."

He shook his head and then gripped my bare shoulders, "Are you forgetting that he wanted you dead? Do you even remember why you're here with me right now?" he asked seriously.

"Of course, I remember," I said. "It's just that I want to do anything I can to help you."

I reached my hand up to cup his cheek. Instinctively, he leaned into my touch and then kissed my palm. "I know you do, Bella. It's just that it's too dangerous, and I would never be able to forgive myself if something happend to you."

"Nothing will," I tried to assure him.

Edward shook his head. "You don't know that," he said. "Jacob is dangerous, and I refuse to send you anywhere near him just so I don't have to be in jail." He paused a moment. "We'll find James, but not that way."

I sighed once. "Edward, I-"

His voice cut me off again. "Bella, please. Let's not discuss this any further."

I searched his eyes and found that he was serious about not letting me go. It was clear to me that he wouldn't budge with his decision. Losing me appeared to be even worse than not finding James for Edward. He would rather go back to prison than have me go to Jacob and get James' real address.

All I wanted was for him to trust me and let me help him, but, of course, he had to put my safety above his future. I admired him for that, but I knew what Jacob's computer could do. He had always found criminals and other people so easily with it.

My head fell in defeat while a loud sigh escaped my mouth. He lifted my chin to look into my eyes. Edward let a crooked smile spread across his face before he pressed his lips to mine. They were soft and gentle, barely touching mine. I enveloped my arms around Edward's neck and clasped my hands in his hair.

He dropped his hands from my face and wrapped them around my waist, pulling my body closer to his. I felt his tongue nudge against my lips, requesting entrance to my mouth. Immediately, I parted my lips and let our tongues meet in a firey battle full of passion and need.

Edward let his right hand tangle in my damp hair as he kissed me. The kiss had started innocent but soon turned heated and intense. I let my body mold into his frame, feeling the need to be as close as I could get to him.

A low growl came from the back of his throat when I began to run my hands down his clothed chest. For a short moment, our lips lost contact so that I could pull his shirt over his head. My hands threw the item to the carpeted floor and went back to pressing my lips against his.

I kissed my way down his chin, his neck, his chest, and his abs. There wasn't a single part of him that my lips weren't desperately aching to touch. Edward was perfect in every sense, and I knew that his perfection would continue to amaze me.

When my lips reached his belly button, I began to trail open-mouthed kisses back up until I met his mouth again. He smiled against them before he unknotted my towel, letting it drop to the ground. He ran his hands up and down my bare back slowly, taking in my naked form.

My mouth parted while a low moan escaped my mouth when I felt Edward suction his lips to my pulse. He seemed to know all of my sensitive spots that would make me crumble.

Becoming slightly anxious, I let my hands fall to the zipper of his jeans. With out difficulty, I unzipped them and pulled them to the floor, his boxers sliding down with them.

He smiled once before we both fell onto the bed. Edward kissed his way down my frame all the way to the bottom of my stomach. Slowly, he made his way back up, trying to pay attention to every peice of my skin; my throat, my breasts, my stomach. I felt the involuntary moans escape my lips when his feather-like fingers caressed my breasts with expertise and perfection.

His lips found mine once again before he settled himself more comfortably over my body. I let my legs wrap around his waist which caused him to gasp when our cores touched. I ran my hands once up his back before I felt him press inside of my body.

Instinctively, I raised my hips at his intrusion while cries of pleasure came from both of our mouths. Edward remained still for a moment before he began to rock against me. The feeling was just as amazing as the last time I was with him.

His long, slow strokes began to pick up as our act continued on. Edward brought his lips to mine and then groaned loudly when I met his every thrust. I couldn't help but think how good it sounded to have him sighing my name.

My heart beat picked up dramatically as our moves became harder and more frantic. A sensation surged straight through my body.

When our climaxes hit, Edward collapsed on top of me, his breathing heavy and hot against my shoulder. My own panting filled the room along with his.

Edward rolled himself off my body and rested on the space next to me. With out speaking a word, I cuddled closer to him and rested my head on his bare chest while enveloping my arms around his toned frame. I felt his arms snake around my waist as he pulled me closer to him and kissed my forehead.

I couldn't remember a time in my life when I had ever been as happy as I was right now with Edward.

**A/N: You all really didn't think that James would be found so easily, did you? Haha.**

**REVIEW PLEASE!**


	10. Jacob Black

**A/N: I love you all so much! The reviews were spectacular! Keep them coming, please!**

**And some of you were asking me if I hated Emmett or Rosalie. And the answer is no, I don't. I absolutely love Emmett. Rosalie I have few issues with, but I don't hate her.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the made up characters in this chapter!**

**Chapter 10- Jacob Black**

**Bella's POV**

My eyes darted around the dark room looking for any source of light. Carefully, I glanced over Edward's body to check the time. 5:02 a.m. Edward slept peacefully in the space next to me. It was the only time when I actually got to see him so at ease.

Now that we had found the wrong James, Edward was frantic and confused. Yesterday, I had told him my idea about going back to Jacob to use his computer to find James. His computer had the ability to basically find anyone at any place or time, but naturally, Edward had refused to let me go. My safety was more important than what the future held for him.

I scooted my naked frame closer to Edward's so I could brush my fingers through his tousled, reddish-brown hair. He looked exhausted so I did it carefully. I hadn't imagined that I would ever find someone like Edward. He made me feel wanted all the time. Jacob, on the other hand, treated me like I was his toy. He would play with me when I was brand new and then toss me aside when he got bored.

But not Edward. When we made love, he treated me with such care and delicacy. His feather-like caresses could still be felt on my body even after the fact. Edward had a gift for making me feel special.

My fingers trailed down his face, tracing his every feature, very gently. I ran my thumb against his bottom lip causing him to stir but not wake. I couldn't help but smile when his arms found my body and pulled me closer to him. I let my lips reach forward so that I could kiss his forehead.

That's when it hit me. Edward was deep asleep and didn't look like he would be waking any time soon. I could sneak away from him if I was fast. Of course, he would be angry with me when I returned, but I would have the address.

So I did what I had to do. I lifted Edward's arms away from my frame and placed a pillow where I had been. Slowly, so the bed wouldn't shake, I got up and walked silently to the bathroom.

When I was there, I quickly but silently brushed my teeth and ran a comb through my brown hair, getting rid of the knots and kinks. I tip-toed outside the bathroom and reached for Edward's back pack. I unzipped it with care and pulled out a white long-sleeve top and a pair of simple blue jeans. The one thing that I couldn't forget was the tape that would put Jacob away.

Hastily, I threw them on. I reached for a pen and piece of paper when my clothes clung to my skin. I began to write Edward a note telling him exactly my plan. I knew for a fact that he would be furious with me when he woke up, but right now that didn't matter.

I set the note on my side of the bed because that would be the first place he would look for me. I glanced at Edward who now rested on his stomach while his bare back shone. The sheets were knotted around him, revealing his right leg. I leaned down and kissed his cheek once. "I'll be back. I promise," I whispered.

With that, I opened the hotel room door and tip-toed outside, closing it silently behind me. Once I was out of an ear shot, I sprinted to the corner so that I could get a taxi. When I was there, I flagged my hands, causing the cab to come to a complete stop. I opened the door in a hurry and got inside.

"Can you take me to the Boise Bus Station?" I asked politely.

He nodded his head once. "Sure I can."

With that, he sped off to my destination. A faint, pink light began to fill the morning sky. I had to admit that I was a little nervous about this. But I wanted to help Edward, and if that meant risking my life, then so be it.

There was no denying it. I had fallen in love with Edward and would do anything to protect him.

The driver came to a complete stop when we arrived at the bus station. I paid the man and then stepped out of the taxi. Hastily, I pulled the door open and walked to the counter of the station. "Good morning," a man stated. "How can I help you today?" he asked.

"Hi, um, you wouldn't happen to have any buses going to Forks, Washington, now would you?" I asked with hope.

The man held up his index finger as if telling me to wait just one moment. I waited impatiently as I tapped my foot. Edward would come here to see if I was waiting for a bus so I had to get out as soon as possible. The man turned to me and smiled. "You're in luck. There's one leaving in about five minutes."

"Perfect. I'll take it," I said, my tone slightly abrupt.

He nodded once. "Okay. $130.00, please."

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the cash that belonged to Edward or maybe it was Jacob's, handing it to the man. In return, he placed my ticket in my hand. I mumbled a thank you before I rushed out of the small building. I speed walked until I reached the bus that would take me back to Forks. They were already boarding so I stepped on and sighed with relief.

I sat down in the way back away from the others on the bus this time. I wasn't in the mood to make small talk. I had a mission to do and no one would stray me from it.

--

The ride to Forks took an approximate of four hours. It was a long drive for me because I had never wanted to see Jacob so much in my life. When we arrived at the Forks Bus Station, I literally ran off the bus. I knew exactly where I would go and where the police would be looking for me.

By this time, they would have figured out that Edward was at the cabin. He had purposely left no trace until he decided that he was going to leave the area so that it would throw the police off.

Forks was a small town so there would be no reason for me to take a car back to the forest where Edward's cabin was. And I didn't want anyone to recognize me so I sprinted to the forest. I had never ran so fast in my life especially considering that I was the clumsiest person on Earth. But right now, I was too busy thinking about saving the man that I loved.

When I reached the backwoods, I noticed several police cars parked down the road. I had been right. They were here. most likely examining our previous trail. So I cut into the thicket and ran to a space that seemed legit.

I hadn't come up with much of a plan so I did the best that I could. I scooped up piles of dirt and began to rub some of it on my cheeks and other bare parts of my arms. I clutched the bottom of my shirt before I tore a piece of it off and disposed of it. Some of the dirt was placed on my white blouse so that it wouldn't look so clean.

I figured that I had looked good enough to believe that I had gotten away from him so I picked up a rock and slammed it against one of the trees. The dogs that were with them would surely hear it and come sprinting my way. So I did it again and again until I heard their barks and footsteps coming closer. That's when I dropped the rock and stood like I was helpless, like I was afraid.

I saw the police with there guns and the dogs with there menacing growls and barks. "Put your hands in the air!" one of the cops commanded. I did so with out complaint because I knew that this was just procedure of what they had to do.

One of the men laughed with relief when he saw me. "Mrs. Black, you're alright?" he asked, as the men began to lower their guns.

I nodded my head once but didn't speak.

They grabbed my arm gently and led me back to a black colored van with the acronym S.W.A.T attached to the side of it. One of the cops helped me inside and then closed the door behind me. Inside, there were two men dressed in formal attire with wide smiles.

"We're glad to see that you're okay, Mrs. Black." He paused before continuing. "I'm Harold Freeman and this is Don Mickett. We just want to ask you a few questions and then you'll be able to go back to your home. Sound good?" he asked, his tone light.

"Yes," I said, my voice cracking slightly.

The two men nodded once. Harold had dark hair with piercing blue eyes while Don had sandy blond hair and dark brown eyes. They had the same skin tone, olive-colored. But Harold seemed to be more friendly than Don.

Harold, along with Don, reached for their small notepads and began the interrogation. "Do you know anything about Edward Cullen's whereabouts? Anywhere that he was planning on heading?" Harold asked.

I shook my head and lied smoothly. "No. Nothing at all. He didn't tell me anything."

The two men scribbled my response down on their pads of paper and then continued. "Do you know how Edward got off the prison premises with out any problem at all?" Don asked, his eyes sharp.

"Yes, well kind of. I'm not really sure how he got to my house, but I drove him off the grounds. And then went to a gas station like he said," I replied telling half of the truth.

Harold licked his lips once before speaking. "Did Edward have a weapon with him?"

I nodded. "Yes. I'm pretty sure that it was a nine millimeter, but I could be wrong." Actually, I was very sure that it was a nine millimeter. Jacob's gun to be precise.

They continued to write down my answers before questioning me again. "Did Edward hurt you physically at all?" Harold asked, waiting weirdly eager for my response.

I decided not to lie about this. It might make matters worse. "No. Never. He would threaten me, but he never hurt me."

Harold nodded his head before firing out another question. "Was the cabin the only place that Edward had taken you? Or did he make a stop on the way?" he asked.

"The cabin was the only place. I mean we stopped for a minute to camp out the night he kidnapped me, but I don't think that really counts as a place," I lied with ease. Lying normally wasn't one of my strengths but today it seemed to flow so naturally.

This time Don opened his mouth to speak. "What about sex? Did he ever force you to have sexual intercourse with him?" he asked.

No, he didn't _force_ me to. I wanted it just as much as him. "No," I answered simply. My answer wasn't a lie but it wasn't exactly the truth. If the question was reworded then there might have been a problem.

"Just one more question for today," Harold said. "Did Edward ever tell you why he was doing this?" he asked.

I shook my head and answered this with no detail at all. "No."

The two nodded their heads in unison and smiled once at me. "Okay, that's all for today. We may have a few more questions for you later, but I know that you are probably aching to see your husband," Harold said with a grin.

No, not really. "Yes. I missed him."

"Well, one of the others already got him on the phone. He's on his way to come get you. He should be here any-"

Harold's statement was cut off by the loud screeching of tires coming to an abrupt stop. It was a shiny, black Escalade, a car that I knew too well. The door swung open and out came the man that secretly wanted me dead.

Immediately, I played the fake role and ran straight into his arms. He, too, was as fake as ever. Jacob squeezed me tightly and hugged me with such force, probably wishing that he could break me in half. "Oh, Isabella, I'm so happy you're okay. I missed you so much," he said, fooling the others around us, but not me.

I continued to lie with perfection. "I missed you, too. I was so scared that I was never going to see you again," I whined while pulling out a few fake tears. The people watching us were so naive. They couldn't see the hatred he had me for me and the loathsome I had for him. But that's because we both played our parts well.

Jacob pulled away and kissed the top of my forehead. I cringed inwardly when his lips touched my skin. "Let's go home," he said, taking my hand in his.

The smile plastered across my face was completely phony, but I held it there with ease. Jacob opened my door for me and put me inside. With that, we drove back to our home...

**Edward's POV**

I opened my eyes to the dark room and stretched out my sleepy muscles. I was supposed to be unhappy right now due to the fact that we hadn't found the right James, but the truth is that I wasn't happier than I was right now. Having Bella with me seemed to make everything more bearable.

My head rotated to the left to reach for her, but I didn't feel her next to me. I opened my eyes wider to see if she was further away, but she wasn't on the bed at all. I flew my hand out to turn on the lamp that rested on the nightstand. The clock read 8:37 a.m. I looked back to her side of the bed and found a note written in her handwriting.

_Edward,_

_I know you're going to be completely angry with me for doing this, but you have to trust me. I'm going back to Jacob to act as if I never knew he wanted you to kill me. I promise that I'm going to be extremely careful, so don't worry. Please stay here until I'm done in Forks. I'm going to get James' address and we're going to find him. Together._

_I love you. xoxo_

_Bella._

I slammed the note back down on the mattress before getting out of the bed. I quickly threw on my boxers and jeans with my black T- shirt. Why did she have to risk her life just so I could be free? I should have never gotten involved with her like this. She would be safe if I hadn't.

My feet pumped as fast as they could until they reached the corner where as taxi rested. I opened the car door and threw my body inside. "I need you to take me to the Boise Bus Station and step on it!" I growled.

The driver began to fumble with the keys probably because I had just screamed at this man for no apparent reason. Finally, he sped off with a loud screech from the tires. He gripped the steering wheel nervously as I chanted for him to driver faster until we reached the bus station.

I threw the money at him and told him to keep the change. I made my legs sprint inside of the building and run to the counter. The woman behind it looked flustered but smiled anyway. "Hi, how can I help-"

I didn't have time for the 'how can I help you's' so I immediately cut the woman off mid sentence. "I need to know when the last bus to Forks, Washington left here. It's urgent," I said letting her know that this was serious. I didn't want to yell at the woman so I just spoke with clarity and precision.

She nodded her head once before glancing at the bus schedule taped to the wall. "It left about two hours ago, and the next one doesn't leave until tomorrow. Would you like to take a different bus to somewhere else? I don't think we have anymore going to Washington today, though."

I shook my head and closed my eyes for a moment. "No, thank you for your time."

How could she be so stupid to do something like that? She knew that I told her not to go back to him. She knew there was a chance of her being hurt or killed. She knew that Jacob was a dangerous man who had a lot of power. She knew a lot of things but chose to ignore them all.

**A/N: Review please!**

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	11. Truth Comes Out

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**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

**Chapter 11-Truth Comes Out**

**Bella's POV**

I was awake in the bed that felt so unfamiliar and wrong. It didn't feel right mainly because Edward wasn't with me. There was no way that I could sleep especially not with the man that wanted me dead resting right next to me. I looked at him with disgust.

When we had gotten home yesterday, he immediately pretended to still be the loving husband that he wasn't. It made me sick to my stomach whenever he would touch my skin or kiss any part of me, but I never let him know that. Instead, I pretended like I had never been so happy in my life.

My eyes caught sight of the clock that read the numbers 6:27 a.m. His alarm would go off in exactly three minutes, and I would get up right along with him. Today, he had scheduled a speech, outside the prison in front of thousands of people, just for my safe return. I guess it didn't matter that I wasn't dead now. The votes for him had increased so dramatically that there was no way that Jasper could catch up.

But the good part was that the votes didn't mean anything. At least, not after the truth about him was finally out. Jacob would probably be placed right in this prison which made a smile tug against my lips. Instead of running the place, he would be trapped inside for good. Irony is quite funny.

My thoughts were interrupted by the loud beeping of the alarm. I jumped slightly at the noise but then quickly settled myself. Jacob lifted his big hand and slammed it against the snooze button. After a quick sigh, he glanced toward me and smiled. "Morning babe," Jacob said to me. He leaned forward and placed a kiss on my forehead. Inside, I was screaming, but that's exactly where I kept my cries. Instead, I smiled.

He got up from the bed and went to his bathroom. I, too, followed him out but went into my bathroom. We shared different ones because he used to complain that he didn't get enough space. So with his billions of dollars he had another bathroom installed shortly after his complaint.

I rubbed my eyes and rid myself of my clothing before I stepped into the steaming hot shower. It felt good to have the water droplets make there way down my flesh. It eased some of my tension and caused me to relax when I was utterly frantic.

Quickly, I washed my hair using the expensive shampoo and conditioner. I couldn't help but want the cheap soaps that the hotel in Idaho would offer. I missed Edward more than I would have expected, and we had only been apart for about 25 hours. It felt like years to me.

I knew that Edward was most likely going crazy with worry. Hopefully, he would watch the news and see me. Maybe that would ease some of his pain. He was completely serious about me not leaving, but I had to do this for him and for me.

After finishing my shower, I blow dried my drenched hair. It was so long and thick that it always seemed to take forever. I tossed my head from side to side trying to reach every damp piece. I ran my fingers through it several times to make sure that there were no wet strands. I clicked the blow dryer off and began to apply my makeup. I never wore much because makeup was supposed to enhance your beauty not mask it.

When I finished, I wrapped my white cotton robe around my body and walked back into the bedroom. Jacob was in there deciding on which tie to wear. The sight of him instantly made me want to puke. I'd never hated someone as much as I hated him, but I smiled anyway.

He grinned back. "Which one should I wear?" he asked.

In his hands were two ties. One was black with several silver stripes running through it while the other was a dark red with black checkers. I glanced them over once and pointed to the black tie. "That one."

Jacob glanced at it once and threw it on. "Good choice."

I went into the closet and scanned my clothes for something to wear today. I reached for a white blouse and a black high-waisted skirt. I put the clothing on quickly because the last thing I wanted was for Jacob to look at me with out clothes. I grabbed a pair of black pointed-toed heels and slipped them onto my feet.

Hastily, I walked out of the closet and back into the bedroom where Jacob was putting on a formal black coat. He looked very professional and extremely business-like. The alarm clock next to him read the time 9:00 a.m.

Jacob turned to face me as he fixed the sleeves of his coat. "Before the meeting, we have to stop at my office because that's where I told Leah we would meet her. And I need to practice my speech. Is that okay?" he asked.

I nodded my head. "Yeah. It's fine." It was more than fine. The faster I got to his computer the quicker I could get away from him.

He stepped toward me and placed a pair of scissors in my hand. I looked at him with confusion. "They were under your pillow last night."

Inside, I was screaming. Just to be on the safe side, I had put those there in case he tried anything with me. Why would he go searching my side of the bed? Did he suspect anything? I played it off as if it was extremely peculiar. "Hmm. That's weird," I stated, nonchalantly shrugging my shoulders.

Jacob nodded his head. "Yes. Exactly my thoughts." His dark eyes continued to glare into mine, trying to receive some type of answer.

My hands reached forward to grasp his, attempting to distract him. "Come on. We don't want to be late so we should get going," I reminded him.

With that, we left the oddly unfamiliar house and were driven to the prison that was not any more than 200 feet away. But Jacob insisted that my safety was important and that we should have guards follow us around at all times. After all, I was kidnapped by a murderer...

We made our way up the stairs and to his huge office. It looked the same as it had the last time I was here. His rewards and degrees hung on every wall while pictures of him shaking hands with others rested on his desk. Yep, this was the warden's office.

Nonchalantly, I made my way to the area behind his desk and gracefully sat down on the leather chair. His computer was no more than six inches from my fingertips. It was so tempting to begin my search immediately, but Jacob seemed absorbed by my every move.

I tore him out of his thoughts when I spoke. "Honey?" I called. Jacob opened his eyes wider to make it seem like he was listening more intently. "You're tie is a little crooked, and why don't you review some of your speech? It might help," I suggested.

He nodded his head and smiled. "Good idea. I need something to pass the time while we wait for Leah."

Jacob turned away from me and began to look at his reflection in the door length mirror. He began to fiddle with his tie and say the words to his speech. "I'm sure you all have heard the news about the miraculous return of my beautiful wife, Isabella. She was forcefully taken..."

His words drowned out as I began to silently let my fingers glide across the key board typing in the name David Johnson. My heart was thudding with every letter that I pressed. Jacob turned his body back toward mine causing me to withdraw my hand from the keys. "Does the word fascinating sound professional?" he questioned.

I nodded my head. "Yeah, you're speech is great so far. Keep going," I encouraged.

A smiled tugged at his pink lips before he turned himself back to the mirror. I bit my lips as I clicked ENTER. The search was loading slowly today which meant that there were several others using the system. Normally, it went faster than lightning. It just had to be today that it took so long, didn't it?

Jacob looked back at me again. "What about the word distraught?" he asked. "Is that a good one?"

I grinned back at him and pretended to be completely absorbed in his speech when I hadn't really heard a word of it. "I think it's great. It gives everyone an insight on how you felt."

He looked up once and considered it. "You're right," he said with a chuckle.

I frantically stared back at the computer screen when Jacob glanced away again. The search was done and there were two names that came up. One was the David Johnson. That obviously wasn't it because it was the place Edward and I were before. I let my eyes scan the next name.

The other was a David Johson that had a completely different profile. I considered it for a moment and glanced down at the address. Boise, Idaho. BINGO! James clearly wasn't as careful as he thought. Edward and I were able to trace him right back to where he originally started. Inside, I was dancing with happiness.

I looked back to see Jacob still reciting his phony words. My fingers reached for a pen and a small notepad and began to write down the address.

There was a knock at the door causing me to jump and drop the pen and post-it note to the floor. Jacob looked back at me with confusion. "Are you okay, Isabella?" he asked.

I swallowed hard and nodded. "Um, yeah. I'm okay. I just...I need to fix my shoes."

He nodded his head and went to answer the door. I frantically continued to write down the address while bent over. It felt like it was taking forever because my hands were shaking with so much fear.

"Isabella!" Leah cried. "I can't believe you're okay," she said coming to the other side of the desk.

Quickly, I ripped off the sheet of paper and crumbled it into the bottom of my shoe. I stood up and caught sight of my search still running. Abruptly, I reached for Leah and hugged her tightly so that she wouldn't see it. "Oh, I missed you," I lied. She hugged me back with the confusion obvious in her embrace. Her and I had never been on good terms. I let one of my hands trail down to the keyboard and click on the ESCAPE button.

I sighed with relief when the page had closed. Jacob cleared his throat once and spoke. "We should get going. My speech is supposed to start in five minutes," he reminded us.

Leah pulled away from me and smiled widely. "We're all very happy to have you back here," she stated.

But I saw right through her, too. She was just as fake as Jacob was. I knew that the two of them had been sneaking around ever since she became his campaign manager. Leah was up to no good just as Jacob was, and I wouldn't be surprised if she knew about Jacob wanting me dead.

Jacob opened the door and motioned for me to go through. He placed his hand on the small of my back and grinned down at me. "Everything is going to be okay," he said. "You're home and-"

Leah interrupted whatever Jacob was going to say next when she started to speak. "Alright, it's important that the two of you act very cozy with each other. The press and the people love a mayor who is very family orientated. So just make sure you guys hold hands the whole time and stand side by side."

Everything that Leah was saying went in one ear and out the other when I saw Embry. Embry was one of the security guards here who I was very close with. I knew that I could trust him to do what I wanted so I walked faster toward him. I hoped that my heeled-shoes wouldn't let me fall.

I was a good ten feet in front of Jacob and Leah when I suddenly burst into Embry's arms. I hugged him tightly and whispered, "Play this tape when Jacob starts speaking. Don't ask questions, just trust me, okay?" I placed the tape in his hand, smoothly and then pulled away with a smile.

Embry nodded once and did just as I said. I knew he was slightly bewildered, but he said absolutely nothing. Instead, he grinned. "It's good to see you, Bella."

"You too, Embry."

Then, I walked past him with out another word. I felt Jacob take my hand in his and we began to walk out the doors. But then I stopped abruptly, pulling back from him. "What's wrong?" he asked.

I hit my head once with my hand pretending like I had forgotten something important. "I didn't look in the mirror before we came down. I have to go back and check to make sure that I look okay."

Leah smiled once, a phony smile that is. "Isabella, you look amazing. Don't worry about it."

I shook my head once. "I would feel better if I saw for myself."

Jacob sighed but then nodded his head. "Make it quick. We'll wait for you out there," he said, pointing toward the door with his thumb.

A smile crept up on my lips. "I'll just be a minute."

Before turning to away, I waited for both Leah and Jacob to step out the doors. I found Embry through the other security guards and mouthed the words "Don't forget" to him. He nodded his head once and stepped outside with them.

When there was no one in sight, I burst into a run and pushed my way up the stairs of the prison. Naturally, I stumbled several times and practically fell on my face due to the heels attached to my feet. Though, I needed to be sure that Embry would play the tape. But to be on the safe side, I would watch from one of the windows from above. I barged into Jacob's office where I got a clear shot of Jacob's speech.

The crowd outside was enormous. There had to have been a least hundreds of reporters and thousands of people anxiously waiting to hear what Jacob had to say about my return. Little did they know, they would be getting much more than his silly little speech. I was sure that Jacob would make the front page of the newspaper but not for the reason he would think.

Soon, the people would know the truth about the monster Jacob really was.

I watched as they waited at least ten minutes for my return that would never happen. So Jacob stepped up to the microphone and began his speech. This was it. This was what I had been waiting for. This was my finale.

Jacob smiled widely at the giant crowd of people as their loud cheers filled the air. It was funny to believe that so many people thought that Jacob was this amazing man with a big heart and pure intentions when in fact he was just the opposite. A black hole replaced his heart while his purposes were filled with evil.

"I'm sure you all have heard the news about the miraculous return of my beautiful wife, Isabella. She was forcefully taken from our home by one of the prisoners here. But now-"

Jacob's speech was interrupted when Embry made his way to the microphone. The tape recorder was in his hand, and I smiled widely at the sight of it. "This is from your wife, Mr. Black," Embry said. Jacob looked bewildered but allowed the tape to be played with a shrug of his shoulders and a fake grin. Normally, he would have shoved Embry back, but the mention of me must have changed his mind.

The words from the tape recorder began to fill the air.

_"I need you to kill my wife."_

_"What?"_

_"I'm asking you to kill my wife. I'm not trying to trick you, Edward. I know that's what your thinking. But you see, I need someone like you to get_ _Isabella out of the way. I'm sure you've heard that I'm currently running for mayor."_

Jacob's olive-colored skin turned stone white as he went to go lunge for Embry. He was stopped by several security guards grabbing his arms and forcing him off the stage. The tape continued to run as Embry held it there, but Embry's hand was slightly shaky now.

_"Yes, I've heard."_

_"I'm going up against Jasper Hale. You know, the one that this city believes is going to save them all. They love him more then life itself. And the last thing I need is to lose this election to a guy like him. I deserve the key to the city more than he ever will." _

Loud gasps and cries could be heard from miles away as I continued to watch the crowd go from cheering him on to being completely against his every move. Their faces were filled with disbelief and shock.

_"With all due respect sir, I still don't understand what any of this has to do with...with killing your wife?"_

_"Well, that's simple, Mr. Cullen. I need the city's sympathy."_

"CALL MY LAWYER, LEAH!" Jacob yelled as he thrashed against the security guards arms.

_"I...I don't understand."_

_"Edward, do you know nothing about winning the people over? Do you know how high my votes will go if they feel sorry for me when I've lost the supposed 'love of my life'? The ballets will shoot through the roof. I need you, Edward. You're what I am looking for."_

Embry stopped the tape and looked just as shocked as everyone in the crowd. It was finally over. Jacob would go to prison with out any possible way of snaking his way out of this. He was guilty and there was no denying it.

Instantly, I ran from the room and down the stairs to one of the cars that rested outside. I had to get back to Edward now and let him know that I had what we needed and that he would be free soon. I smiled at the thought of it and was immediately thankful for everything that had happened despite its drawbacks.

**A/N: So, I posted chapter 2 of my new story Forbidden Romance, so you guys should go check it out and leave me some reviews! Thanks so much!**

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	12. Back to Boise

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**Chapter 12- Back to Boise**

**Edward's POV**

I was going crazy, literally. Bella had been gone more than a day, and I truly was going insane. I couldn't take any of this anymore. I had to find her. I just had to. If something was to ever happen to her, I could never forgive myself no matter what the circumstances were. My fault or not, I would still conclude that I had done it to her.

I paced aimlessly around the room. She had told me to stay put, but I honestly don't think that could be physically possible for me to do. I needed her more than I needed food or oxygen. Bella was my life now.

My hand reached for the remote and flicked on the TV to the news channel. While I'm waiting for her, I might as well keep myself occupied, instead of running around like a complete moron. My eyes widened at the sight of what I saw. It was the son of a bitch getting ready to make a speech about Bella's return. I cringed inwardly and gritted my teeth together.

Where the hell was Bella? All my fears were swimming closer and closer to me as my eyes began to scan the crowd for Bella's presence. This speech was about her, so why wasn't she by Jacob? If he hurt her or so much as laid a finger on her, I would kill him. Sure, I would go to jail for a true reason this time, but it would be worth it.

Jacob smiled widely at the massive crowd of people as their loud cheers filled the air. I laughed with out humor at the sight of it. These people actually thought that Jacob was good when the truth was he was nothing but a manipulative, evil bastard. I waited impatiently for him to give his phony speech to the crowds of people that would believe every word he said.

"I'm sure you all have heard the news about the miraculous return of my beautiful wife, Isabella. She was forcefully taken from our home by one of the prisoners here. But now-"

Jacob's speech was interrupted when a tall olive-skinned man made his way to the microphone. I recognized him, with out a doubt. He was one of the many security guards at the prison that feared Jacob more than death itself. I remembered him coming into Jacob's office the day he propositioned me to murder Bella.

There was something placed in his hand that I couldn't make out. The security guard brought his lips to the microphone and spoke. "This is from your wife, Mr. Black."

Jacob's face looked bewildered, but he let the man proceed with what he was about to do. I was just as confused as the rest of the people in the crowd. What could Bella possibly want to give him?

That's when I knew. I smiled widely at the sight of what was about to happen, and Jacob remained clueless.

The words from the tape recorder began to fill the air.

_"I need you to kill my wife."_

_"What?"_

_"I'm asking you to kill my wife. I'm not trying to trick you, Edward. I know that's what your thinking. But you see, I need someone like you to get_ _Isabella out of the way. I'm sure you've heard that I'm currently running for mayor."_

Jacob's olive-colored skin turned stone white before he almost jumped on the security guard. He was stopped by several other guards grabbing his arms and forcing him off the stage. The tape continued to run as the other guard held it in place.

_"Yes, I've heard."_

_"I'm going up against Jasper Hale. You know, the one that this city believes is going to save them all. They love him more then life itself. And the last thing I need is to lose this election to a guy like him. I deserve the key to the city more than he ever will." _

Loud gasps and cries could be heard from miles away as I continued to watch the crowd go from cheering him on to being completely against his every move. Their faces were filled with disbelief and shock.

_"With all due respect sir, I still don't understand what any of this has to do with...with killing your wife?"_

_"Well, that's simple, Mr. Cullen. I need the city's sympathy."_

"CALL MY LAWYER, LEAH!" Jacob yelled as he thrashed against the security guards arms.

_"I...I don't understand."_

_"Edward, do you know nothing about winning the people over? Do you know how high my votes will go if they feel sorry for me when I've lost the supposed 'love of my life'? The ballets will shoot through the roof. I need you, Edward. You're what I am looking for."_

The tape was stopped, and I smiled at how well-planned Bella was. The bitterness I felt when she left was almost completely diminished.

Almost.

**Bella's POV**

I don't think I've ever been so relieved to leave the prison in my entire life. It felt good to finally know that I was free from Jacob's clutch and that he would receive his punishment soon enough. I assumed that there would be a trial that Edward or I would have to testify in, but that didn't really matter to me right now.

All that did was that I had James' address, or at least I hoped that I had the right one. It had to be. The information said that David Johnson resided in Boise, Idaho, just like the one that we were currently searching for. We were going to find him. I was almost 100% sure.

The detectives obviously hadn't done their jobs right. That seemed like an extremely careless mistake to me. But after all, like Edward said, they had all the evidence they need: a weapon with Edward's fingerprints and James' blood. But what about the body? Did they just assume that he was dead? It made me angry to think of how they could wrongly accuse Edward for something that he was innocent to.

When I got to the Forks Bus Station, I hurriedly asked if there was any buses going to Boise, Idaho. Thankfully, the woman at the counter told me there was one leaving soon. I got on that one as quickly as I possibly could.

I couldn't stay in Forks. The police would be looking for me, most likely figuring out that I was somehow involved with Edward. They would know that I was helping him by now. It wasn't that hard for it to have already been discovered. And, honestly, I really didn't care. There was no way that Edward would be getting in trouble for my kidnapping.

And now there was no way for him to get in trouble with James. I retrieved his address from Jacob's computer and was on my way back to Idaho where I would meet Edward. I prayed that he was still there and that he didn't go looking for me. There was always the possibility of that.

For the short time that I really knew him, Edward seemed to always want to put my safety above his own future. He was a very giving man with a big heart. It wasn't hard for anyone to fall in love with him. It seemed silly for me to think that he was actually going to kill me when he first kidnapped me.

The bus ride to Boise was excruciatingly slow. All I wanted was to get there and get there fast before Edward could do anything careless or stupid. I decided that maybe it would be best if I closed my eyes and drifted asleep.

But how could I sleep? We were so close to finding James or David or whatever his name is. And I could feel that this was the right address. I don't think I've ever been so sure of anything in my entire life. So I decided to go with my gut and write it down.

Finally, we arrived at the familiar station located in Boise. I literally sprinted down the aisle and leaped off of the short flight of stairs. The people behind me must have thought that I was mentally crazy, but that really didn't bother me at all. They could think what they want.

I jumped up and down and waved my hands wildly above my head to attract the attention of one of the taxi drivers. He slammed on the brakes and came to a stop directly in front of me. I hurriedly opened the door and plopped myself inside of the cab. "I need you to take me to the Roadway Motel and be quick!" I said trying to remain polite but unsure if I was.

The driver smiled once. "You got it."

And he was fast. Really fast.

We weaved through traffic and pushed our way down the streets. I was gripping the back seat due to his poor driving skills, but really, I was thankful for such a quick driver.

In less than five minutes, the driver came to an abrupt halt, and I threw a few loose bills at him. "Keep the change," I called over my shoulder. "Thanks for the ride."

My legs began to burst into a sprint, running up the stairs of the small motel. I tripped twice but got right back up after that, completely ignoring the scrapes across my knees. "Please be here. Please be here," I began to chant under my breath. If he wasn't, then I wasn't entirely sure of what I was supposed to do next.

I came to the second floor room that was ours and pushed the door open. "Edward?" I called, stepping inside. I glanced around the room but didn't see him. "Edward?" I tried again, frantically searching for him. I pushed open the door to the bathroom. Not there. So I tried the closet. I knew it was stupid to check there, but I was becoming completely frenzied. I pushed my hair out of my face while I continued my search. All I kept thinking was that I somehow missed him so I checked everywhere again. Once. Twice. Three times.

Nothing. There was nothing there except for an unmade bed and a cheap TV across from it.

Nothing.

He wasn't here.

No Edward.

What now?

I closed my eyes tightly trying to fight the tears that threatened to come any minute. I told him to stay put. Why couldn't he just do one thing that I asked. Surely, he would be caught if I didn't find him first. My foot began unconsciously patting the floor as my eyes continued to dart around the room, still mentally searching for him. I exhaled deeply through my nose and opened my eyes again.

That's when they came. Hot trickles of tears made their way down the side of my face, leaving their wet trail behind. I didn't bother to wipe them because how could I? It would be like pushing away the sadness I felt right now. Pointless because it would still be there buried beneath the surface.

My left foot kicked the door hard three times, jabbing it over and over. The pain that shot up my leg was ignored. It wasn't as excruciating as the ache in my heart. I was so angry and so upset. I just...I just wanted to help him and to make things right with everything that he was involved in.

My body sank to the floor causing me to curl up into the shape of a ball. I buried my face in my knees and sobbed. I didn't care that I was wearing a skirt, and I didn't care that I was ruining my makeup. All I cared about was that Edward was gone. I would most likely never see him again. Ever.

Why?

"Bella!"

The familiar voice filled my ears and caused my head to whip up. There he was rushing toward me with fear and anguish in his eyes. I, immediately, picked myself off the ground and ran straight into his arms. I held him close to my body, unsure if I would ever let go. He had one hand pressed against my lower back while the other rested on the back of my head.

He embraced me tightly, and I had never felt so at home in my life. Edward didn't leave me. He believed in me.

I could feel the tears coming down faster now that I saw him. But they were tears of joy, tears of happiness. I began to place a trail of kisses up the side of his neck and over his left cheek. My hands moved up to his perfect face and grasped it firmly before I pushed my lips against his.

The kiss was hard but soft at the same time. The way his lips seem to respond to mine sent chills up and down my spine. My thumbs brushed soothing circles over his stubble-filled chin. This was the only thing in the world that seemed to calm me; knowing that he was with me and that we were still going to find James as a team.

Abruptly, he pulled away, but still kept his iron hold on me. "God, Bella, you're so stupid! Do you have any idea how worried I was about you?" he asked before he kissed me again, good and hard.

I pulled away, slightly breathless and spoke. "I know, I know. It was extremely stupid and careless, but I didn't want this to take forever. I had to go back to Jacob. He didn't hurt me, but I'm pretty positive that he's going to jail now," I responded, my voice barely audible due to the rushing of my words.

Edward brought his lips back down to mine and kissed me like no one ever had before. The funny thing was that I wasn't gone more than thirty-five hours, and he was acting like I had been gone a lifetime. I didn't care though. The way he kissed suited just fine with me.

Hastily, he ripped his face away from mine again. "So he's going to jail? Jacob's in custody?" he asked slowly.

I nodded my head. "Yes. He is."

And just like that, Edward bent back down to kiss me, but I immediately stopped him by placing my hand over his lips. He looked at me curiously. "Edward, you're forgetting the most important part of all of this and the reason why I left."

He looked confused and unsure of what I meant so I spoke again.

"I got the address that James, or David or whatever his name is, is living under," I stated.

My hand reached into my black heel and pulled out the yellow post-it note where his address was hiding. I unfolded the paper and placed it in Edward's waiting hand. A small grin began to tug at his lips. "You're unbelievable, do you know that?" he asked, locking eyes with mine.

I nodded my head. "I do now."

Edward laughed in spite of himself before he glanced at the paper. I watched carefully as he read it over several times. "David Johnson," he stated to no one in particular.

"It has to be James. Look at the address. It says he lives in Boise just like you thought." Edward raised his eyebrows, obviously impressed with my interpretation. "And this was the only address that seemed to fit what we were looking for."

He nodded his head once. "It's gotta be him. It says that he's still located in Boise, Idaho after all this time. I have a feeling that you're right, Bella. But there's only one way to find out," he stated.

"We go to the house," I concluded.

Edward licked his lips once and placed the post-it note in his back pocket. He reached forward and began to rub away the smears of makeup and tears that claimed my face. I smiled up at him, gazing through tear-filled eyes. Then, he spoke quietly and sternly. "Before we go, I need you to promise me one thing, okay?" he asked.

I nodded my head rapidly, feeling the strange need to please him. "Anything."

"If something bad happens, I want you to run and never look back. Do you hear me? Run and never look back." I searched his face looking for signs that he wasn't serious. But his face gave none. He couldn't be serious, could he? "The last thing I need is for the police to figure out that you're somehow involved in all of this. You have a whole future ahead of you, and I will not take that away from you." He paused a moment and stared deeply into my eyes. "Promise me," he commanded.

"Edward," I began, "if something bad happens, I'm not leaving you, no matter what. I want to be wherever you are, and I most certainly will not forget about what we have," I said slightly angry with him. "Why do you want me to promise something so stupid?" I asked.

"Bella, come on. Please, don't do this to me!" he said fiercely, his jaw clenched tightly. "I don't want you to have to pay for the mistakes that I have made. They're mine, not yours."

I shook my head. "That's where you're wrong. Whatever is yours is mine and whatever is mine is yours, no matter what happens, Edward. I refuse to promise something that I know I won't do when it comes down to what I feel is right."

"Why do you have to be so difficult?" he asked, completely torn.

I licked my lips once and exhaled heavily. "Because I'm in love with you." I stared into his eyes looking for his reaction. We had never spoken those words to each other. Except for when I had written them on the note. In person, it was so much different. "I love you, Edward," I stated confidently.

My confidence slipped away once I saw the shock spread across his features. At first I thought that I had said something wrong and was immediately humiliated. But then a smile crept across his lips, and he bent down to graze his lips against mine. I pushed them slightly harder against his, but then he spoke. "I love you, too," he whispered against my lips.

Once again, I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck in a tight hold. He lifted me from the ground and held me firm against his chest so that we were at the same level. I was content because I was with Edward. If we end up going to hell, then I'd consider it heaven because he would be there right along side of me.

That was the greatest feeling I could have ever felt in my entire life.

**A/N: Go check out my new story is you haven't already! Thanks so much!**

**And leave a review for this chapter! The last reviews seriously blew me away. It's nice when I check my inbox and see that I have so many reviews. Please continue to give me some feedback.**


	13. Revelation

**A/N: You guys are so awesome! I've reached 303 reviews for this story, and that makes me really happy! I love you all! Keep the amazing reviews coming! Hope everyone's holiday was great!**

**Disclaimer: Nothing is mine!**

**Chapter 13- Dancing with the Devil**

**Edward's POV**

Bella and I decided to take a taxi to James', or David's, home. Her fingers were laced in mine while she rubbed soothing circles against the outside of it. Just having her in the same vicinity as me seemed to calm my nerves. As long as she was near, then I would continue to be braver than what I normally was.

Especially now that I knew she was in love with me. Hearing those words spill from her lips made everything seem a little less important. I would have never thought it was possible for someone to fall in love with another over such a short period of time. But it had to be because I had never wanted someone so much in my life. It was too bad that we couldn't cherish the moment because we both had to find James and prove my innocence.

But I was still afraid. Not for myself. But for Bella. If something were to happen to her, then I would surely never ever forgive myself. I have been telling her that over and over, but it seems that she chooses to ignore the warnings. Almost as if it goes in one ear and then out the other. Bella can be extremely stubborn, and it almost feels like she wants to put herself in danger for me.

Occasionally, I would just stare out the window and watch the world pass me by. I couldn't help but hope that one day, I would be able to walk the streets with out the fear of being thrown back in jail. Hopefully, it would be soon. I still had to avoid looking directly at anyone, hence the reason why sunglasses were attached to my eyes and a grey cap rested on my head.

When all of this was done and over with, Bella and I could finally be together in the right way, with out any barriers between us. We wouldn't have to hide out in a hotel or stay in a cabin. We could go public, and I would, with out a doubt, flaunt the fact that I would have the most beautiful and loyal girlfriend in the world.

She was perfect in every sense. The way her long, brown hair framed her features on her face. The way her eyes would light up whenever I said something that gave her hope or happiness. The way her smile would emerge from her lips for absolutely no reason at all. I loved her more than anything in the world.

Bella was my life now.

I glanced over at her while we continued with our drive. On the outside, she seemed unnaturally calm and at ease, but I knew that if you looked beneath the surface, then there would be fear laying somewhere in there. We were about to enter the lion's den, and once we were in, there was no turning back.

"You okay?" I asked in a quiet voice.

She nodded her head. "Yeah. You?"

"I'll be fine."

I leaned toward her and pressed my lips to her forehead. Her strawberry and freesia scent invaded my nostrils, calming my distressed state. Everything would be okay as long as I had her. She was like my own personal stress ball.

The taxi came to a complete stop in front of James' home. It looked surprisingly...innocent? It was a one story house with bright red bricks concreted to the walls. There were two small, white steps that led up to his front door while a white porch and picket fence wrapped around the space. Two windows were placed on both sides of the ivory colored door. They were curtained with what looked like a thick black piece of fabric. James must like his privacy.

The driver turned around and smiled. "Okay, here we are."

Swiftly, I reached into my back pocket and retrieved a few loose bills. I placed them in the man's hand and thanked him for the ride before both Bella and I stepped out of the cab. I watched as the yellow taxi drove away leaving us in front of James' home alone.

The neighborhood looked nothing like I expected. Actually, it looked as if it came out of one of those _Good Homes _magazines with the perfectly green grass and assorted types of landscaping. I had to hand it to him, James did well for picking a place that no one would really suspect.

We stood in silence for a while until I looked back at Bella who seemed confident and ready for anything. Where was she getting all these brave emotions from? If I were her, I'd be scared out of my mind. We were about to put our lives in danger, and there could be no way out of this if it didn't work.

I sighed loudly and licked my now dry lips. "Bella, I _need_ you to promise me that if something happens you'll run and you won't stop. You don't know how much this is killing me that you won't agree to it," I told her truthfully. My hands reached for hers and gripped them tightly.

Bella shook her head. "No. I already told you that I'm not promising you something so stupid like that. I. Will. Not. Leave. You." She spoke the words slow with clear pronunciation. Bella looked around once and then back at the house. "We're wasting time just standing here. Let's go."

A heavy exhale escaped my lips before we walked slowly up the steps to James' home. I couldn't deny the fact that I was nervous and my heart was pounding at one hundred beats per minute. None of my nerves were for my own fear though, they were for Bella. I couldn't shake the thought that if something happened to her, it would be all my fault. I dragged her into this mess and I would have to drag her out.

There we were. So close to his front door. I felt bursts of rage run through me, and I hadn't wanted anything more than to just knock the door down and push my way in. But I had to remain calm for a moment.

I didn't really have a plan on how to get inside. I was getting ready to tell Bella that but she lifted up her hand, telling me to be quiet. "Stand there," she commanded, pointing to the space next to the doorway. If James was to open the door, he wouldn't be able to see me from here so I obeyed.

"Do you have an idea?" I asked her, my voice in a whisper.

She nodded her head once and raised her hand to the door.

**Bella's POV**

I raised my fist to the ivory colored door and knocked lightly against the wood. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't afraid. The truth was that I had never been so scared in my life. Through out my existence, I'd never gotten involved in anything dangerous. I was always living on the safe side of the fence, avoiding hazards and jeopardy. But now, here I was, raising my fist to a man's doorway that was supposed to be dead.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Edward pressed against the brick of the wall, waiting for James to open the door. Anxiously, I awaited his presence, also. Did it really take this long to answer the door?

Just as I thought the words, the white door creaked open slowly. There he was, standing tall, about six feet. His blonde hair was pulled back with a rubber band while his dark eyes seemed to drill into me. He wore a loose blue T-shirt with faded jeans. The door was open only about a foot wide which didn't give me any view inside the house. He was very cryptic.

I smiled widely and reached to push my brown hair behind my ear. "Hi. My name is Bella. I just bought a house down the street, and I locked myself out." I tried to sound stressed and slightly antsy, but I wasn't entirely sure if it was working. "Do you mind if I borrow your phone?" I asked, my voice extremely upbeat and peppy. Let's just say I have never been good at acting.

He looked me over once and rolled his eyes. I furrowed my eyebrows a little but kept the fake grin stretched from ear to ear. James huffed a sigh and then closed the door. Well, wasn't he just nice and pleasant...

Edward glanced at me and raised his eyebrows urging for me to knock again. He still was planted against the wall waiting for his time to make himself known. I shrugged my shoulders once.

Right as I was about to lift my knuckles to the ivory wood, the door opened and James appeared again. "Make it quick, lady. I was just on my way out," he said crossing his arms across his chest. I smiled once as he leaned against the frame of the door.

My skinny fingers began to press numbers, but immediately my actions were halted when I noticed Edward lunge from his hiding place and slam into James. I jumped in surprise but was quickly horrified after that. Edward had shoved him through the doorway and back into his house. James' back was now pressed against the tan wall of his living room.

Edward brought his fist back and smashed it into James' pale flesh. Immediately, I saw blood emerge from James' nose. James didn't appear to have much strength compared to Edward so I figured this was my cue to get Edward off of him before he killed James.

I rushed through the doorway and stood next to Edward who appeared to make no attempt to stop his painful blows. "Edward! Come on! Stop! You don't want to do anything stupid, remember?! We found him...let's, let's just call the police or something!" I yelled over James' and Edward's grunting.

"Two years, James! Two fucking years of hell and torture for someone that I never killed!" Edward screamed into James' face. He seemed to be completely ignoring my frantic yells and my pointless attempts to rip him off of James.

My fingers gripped Edward's forearm and yanked as hard as I possibly could. "Edward, stop!" I screamed.

A smile emerged from James lips causing Edward to only become more angry. He fisted James' shirt in his hands and slammed him back against the wall another time. James' head made a loud thumping noise. I was surprised he hadn't knocked him out. "If you're going to kill me, then get it over with! You can rot in jail for all I care, you sick son of a bitch!"

I watched in horror as Edward reached into his back pocket and retrieved a shiny, reflected object from its place. A glinting pocket knife was clutched in his hands. He swifty brought it to James' throat and pressed it against him. Not enough to draw blood, but enough to feel pressure. "Right now that doesn't sound like that bad of an idea!"

Why couldn't I be stronger? I needed some sort of iron strength to rip Edward away from James. My weak arms were no match for his rippling muscles. I was almost sure that nothing could pull Edward back from James' throat. Not even the jaws of life. I tried gripping my arms around his shoulders, but he would shrug me off.

"Bella! Go! Now!" he yelled, taking his eyes from James for a moment.

His emerald green orbs were piercing with hatred and anger. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. They were filled with so much animosity that it was almost next to impossible for me to believe this really was Edward. His features were pressed in hard lines while his prominent jaw remained clenched.

I glanced over to James who had blood dripping from his left nostril and a large, red gash slashed across his right cheekbone. It looked as if someone had cut his mouth open with a pair of scissors due to the tear that rested on his bottom lip.

Edward still held the knife firmly to his neck. The sight of it seemed so unreal, and I had never been more afraid in my entire life.

"Stop, Edward! Just stop! Remember we just wanted to get the truth out. Put the knife down before you do something you're going to regret," I said, trying to keep my voice from cracking.

He shook his head fiercely and gripped James' throat tighter. "I can't!"

"Yes you can!" I screamed. "Edward, stop it! Please!"

James began to laugh, a loud wicked chuckle. "Do it, Edward! Kill me, I dare you!" he challenged.

"Shut up!" I screeched to James. I turned back to Edward and took a cautious step toward him. "Come on, Edward," I whispered. His breathing was ragged and heavy while James' continue to gasp for air. "Give me the knife." I placed my hand over his arm.

He looked down at me, his green eyes crazed with malevolence. They turned softer once green met brown, and I felt the muscles in his tricep relax, meaning that he loosened his grip on James. Edward exhaled heavily and placed the object in my hands. I smiled up at him, but then was horrified once again.

James took this time to smash his fist toward Edward's cheek. The sunglasses and cap that Edward had been wearing were now flying through the air. I watched as he staggered back and the two went to the ground. James was on top of Edward throwing his hands against his face. "Stop it!" I yelled, rushing to grasp James. It was a stupid thing to do, I knew it was. James ended up jabbing his elbow into the space below my right eye.

My body fell back against the wall behind us so that my head crushed against the wood. I lifted my hand to my scalp and winced when my fingers touched the tender part of my skull.

When I looked up, I noticed that Edward was now in full control, choking and punching and beating James. That must have sent him over the edge. "Stop," I tried to say, but my voice seemed suddenly quiet.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed several men dressed in matching outfits running toward the front door. They barged in, all yelling and screaming words toward James and Edward. "Get on the ground and put your hands where we can see them!" one of the men asked. "Move! Now!"

Edward immediately ripped himself off of James and raised his hands in the air while he rested, stomach down, on the floor. James did the same soon after that. I got off the ground, forgetting the wound on my head and the agonizing pain near my eye, when I noticed the police throwing handcuffs across Edward's arms. "Wait! Stop! He didn't do anything!" I yelled.

The police ignored my pleading and lifted Edward from the floor, his arms shackled behind his back. Edward tried to rip away from them, but then he decided it was best to give up. A look of defeat washed across his face. He glanced back at me and spoke. "It's going to be okay, Bella. Everything is going to be fine."

I reached for one of the many cops, trying to get there attention. "He didn't do anything! He didn't! James Witherdale is alive! That's him, right there!" I exclaimed, pointing toward James who was now in the arms of one of the police.

One of the policemen came to my side and grasped my arm. "Isabella Black?"

I nodded my head. "Yes, that's me or actually, Bella Swan."

The detective sighed once and nodded. "We're going to need to ask you a few questions." He glanced at my right eye and then the wound that rested on my scalp. "And we're going to need to get you to the paramedics."

"Where are you taking Edward?" I asked, my voice frantic and urgent.

The man smiled trying to seem reassuring. "Just come with me, and I'll explain." I didn't want to go anywhere. I wanted to know where Edward was and why he was handcuffed. That was James Witherdale not David Johnson! He was alive. Surely, they had to have figured that out by now.

He led me to an ambulance truck and opened the back doors for me. I looked at him once before I hopped inside. There were paramedics waiting to tend to my cuts and wounds while another detective that I recognized was waiting for me. Harold Freeman. The same one who questioned me when I had returned to Jacob.

"Mrs. Black-"

"Ms. Swan," I corrected him while the wound below my eye was being cared for.

Detective Freeman cleared his throat once. "Ms. Swan, then. I'm sure you remember me. I was the one who asked you-"

I interrupted him immediately. "I know who you are." All I wanted to know was where Edward was and what was going to happen to him.

He looked shocked by my interruption, but continued on. "Now, obviously you were associated with Edward Cullen. Was that against your own wishes?" he asked.

My head shook fiercely, but I winced when a sharp pain erupted from the back of my skull. "No. No, it wasn't. Edward is innocent! He didn't kill anyone and he only kidnapped me so that he could get me away from Jacob. That's James Witherdale out there! Why-"

Detective Freeman cut me off after a moment. "We know all of this now, Ms. Swan. I can assure you that Mr. Witherdale is being questioned at this moment. Mr. Cullen is speaking with another detective. Everything is going to be fine."

I sighed in relief. "So, he's not going back to prison? He's going to be let free?" I asked.

He nodded his head. "Yes. Edward will be let free."

The words were music to my ears. I'd never been so happy about something in my entire life. "Can I see him?" I asked, abruptly. "Now?"

Detective Freeman smiled. "How about you let them fix you up first?" he suggested.

I smiled and nodded my head while the paramedics continued stiching and tending to the scrape on my scalp and bruise below my eye. This was it. Edward was going to be free. I couldn't wait to see him, and let him know that everything was going to okay. He was right. We were going to be fine.

When they were finished fixing me up, Detective Freeman led me to where Edward was. One of the cops lifted him out of the back of the police car. Edward still had his hand shackled behind him, but I wasn't focused on that. My eyes were fixed on the smile that was plastered across his beautiful face.

I walked slowly toward him and smiled. "You did it, Edward."

He grinned crookedly and then glanced back at the cop who kept a close distance. "Can you give us a minute?" he asked. The cop raised his hands and began to stroll away. I laughed, half-heartedly.

"What happened with James?" I asked.

Edward smiled. "Let's just say he's going to be in jail for a long time. The same goes for Rosalie and Emmett. James ended up ratting them out to the police, and they're on their way to the house. Turns out that I was right about Emmett and Rosalie wanting me out of the way so they could have full control of the shop. They paid James over 5 million dollars to fake his death."

I stared deeply into his emerald green eyes. "I'm sorry, Edward."

He shrugged it off and smirked. "It doesn't matter. None of it does. I have the one thing that I could have ever wanted in my life now."

A wide smile spread across my face as I stepped closer to him. "And what's that?" I asked.

Edward brought his lips inches from mine, letting his delicious breath fan across my face. "You."

I pressed my lips to his soft mouth, bringing my hands to palm his scruffy cheek. Edward's hand were still handcuffed so I pushed my body further toward his. I closed my eyes and wished that moments like these would last forever. That's when it hit me. Now, they could. Edward and I could have our forever.

**A/N: So I'm sad to announce that there will only be one more chapter to Fugitive for Love. Leave some good reviews for me to come back to!**

**And check out my newest story Forbidden Romance if you haven't already! I've got some great ideas for it.**


	14. Happily Ever After

**A/N: Wow! I can't believe this is really the last chapter! I just wanted to thank you all for being so supportive through out my whole writing process. I would have never been able to write this without all of the amazing feedback and astounding confidence you guys gave me through the reviews. I'm very sad that this is ending, but I'm really excited to get started on some of my other ideas. I have a lot of them and have been writing my thoughts down so I don't forget them. If you haven't already, be sure to check out my new story Forbidden Romance. Thanks so much for sticking with me through out everything!**

**Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.**

**Chapter 14- Happily Ever After**

**Two Years Later**

**Edward's POV**

My eyes opened slowly due to the faint light poking in through the window. I stirred slightly, attempting to fall back asleep, but it obviously wasn't working. My body rolled over and reached for someone that surely wasn't there. I fisted the sheets and groaned. Why did she always wake up so damn early?

I shoved myself out of the comfortable bed and made my way to the exit of our bedroom. I knew what she'd be doing, so it didn't matter how sneaky she tried to be. My feet stumbled toward the kitchen where Bella would surely be. I leaned my body against the frame of the doorway when I noticed her back to me. She was stirring something, most likely pancake mix.

A smile tugged at my lips at the sight of her. This was when she was most beautiful; dark, brown hair flying in every direction, my shirt sagging off her little figure, and the occasional yawn that would escape her lips. Bella's imperfections made her perfect to me.

Trying to be subtle, I walked toward her slowly, wrapping my arms around her waist. My lips found the bare flesh on her neck and planted themselves onto it. Bella cocked her head back, toward me, and laughed. "What are you doing up so early?" she asked.

I smiled widely. "You know I can't sleep if you're not there," I reminded her. I grinned down at her and brought my mouth to hers. Her lips were still as soft as ever. "Happy anniversary," I whispered.

Her mouth was only pulled back inches from mine. I could feel her sweet breath fan my face as she spoke. "You too."

Bella and I had been married officially for one year now. I proposed to her on our trip to New York City. Bella said that she always wanted to see the big city and bright lights so I made it happen. While Bella had been at the hotel spa getting a massage and a pedicure, I fixed everything that needed to be prepared.

After dining at an Italian restaurant, we'd taken a carriage ride through Central Park. The whole time she would compliment on how beautiful the buildings were and how amazing the whole scenario was. Beneath the cloudy, full-moon sky, I'd asked her for her hand in marriage saying the words, "Isabella Swan, I promise to love you forever---every single day of forever. Will you marry me?" At first, she was stunned, and I feared that maybe she thought it was too soon to be husband and wife.

But then her fragile arms lifted me off my knee and wrapped themselves around my neck. She kissed me about a dozen times and replied the word "Yes" after each kiss. That was one of the happiest moments in my life.

Then came the planning and the organizing. That was hectic. In between her shifts at work, she planned most of the wedding. All of her friends encouraged her to just go with the flow, but Bella insisted that she make the wedding as perfect as possible. I relished being part of the overwhelming process. Together, we picked out invitations, the flowers, and the cake. I remember sitting beside her as she looked through various albums in downtown studios, hoping to find the right photographer that would capture every distinct memory.

In the end, we invited only our close friends and our families. The chapel was decorated perfectly, just the way Bella wanted. If she loved the way everything looked, then so did I. I wanted to make the wedding about her. When she marched down the aisle, I was transfixed by how gorgeous she looked in her ivory, silk strapless gown with the asymmetrical dropped waist. Tears were spilled while we vowed forever to each other.

We honeymooned in Cancun, which ended up being an excellent choice for both of us. She wanted some place she could relax and unwind while I wanted a place where I could have a bit more of an adventure. We spent hours laying in the sun and floating in the ocean. We did exotic things like rock climbing, scuba diving, and zip lining. But majority of our time was spent in the hotel room. In just a week, I think we had more sex than an eighty-year old couple.

All of those events brought us to where we were now, and I could not have asked for a better place to be. Through all the hardships and difficulities, Bella and I made it. More importantly, we were together.

As for James, Rosalie, and Emmett, they'll be in prison for a long time. Not long after James was convicted, Rosalie and Emmett were brought in custody for questioning. It took a while, but they fessed up to what they had plotted. Now, they currently reside in Washington State Prison. It's a shame that orange really isn't Rosalie's color. Jacob was also sentenced to thirty years in prison for the attempted murder of _my_ wife. Doesn't look like he'll be getting his shot at mayor any time soon.

Bella and I have overcome a lot together. But I don't regret any of it, and I'm sure neither does she.

"I'm making you pancakes," she said, lifting the bowl that the batter rested in. "I was going to bring them to you while you were in bed, but you woke up."

"Because I was looking for you," I pointed out.

She frowned once and began to pour the pancake mix onto the skillet. "I wanted to surprise you, but you seem to be ruining everything I have planned today," Bella stated, a sarcastic angry edge to her tone. "Normally you sleep like the dead, but on the one day where I want to do something nice for you, you decide to wake up early."

It was true. Normally, I slept as if I'd never wake up. I was always so content, though. Bella would cuddle into my back or wrap her slender arms around my waist or sleep on my chest majority of the night. With her there with me, it was impossible for me not to get a great nights sleep. Except she was an early bird while I enjoyed sleeping in. Sometimes, I would wrap my arms tighter around her so that she couldn't get up. Bella would laugh and then protest, but I knew she loved it when I would play with her like that.

On the days we both worked, we would wake up earlier than necessary to take a shower. With each other that is. Sometimes we would spend hours in there just laughing and playing, not doing anything in particular. But other times we would make love the whole time completely forgetting about washing up.

Our romance wasn't your average one. Well, for one, I was a fugitive that was put in prison for murder. Bella was the warden's wife who I, by the way, kidnapped to get away from her psychotic husband. Bella and I set out on a journey to lock Jacob up and find the man that was supposed to be my victim of murder. And we did. We accomplished both those things while falling in love all at the same time.

Some people would say that it's not possible to fall in love so quickly, and I used to be one of those people. Whenever I would watch Romeo and Juliet or one of those other pathetic, cheesy couples, I would scoff at how fast the romance came, but I would never do it again. Bella and I had fallen in love in a short amount of time. That's when I realized it doesn't matter how long you've known the person, it all depends on what your heart wants.

And what mine wants is Bella.

I sighed feeling happier than ever. "So what else do you have planned today for me?" I asked, wrapping my arms around her from behind once again. I inhaled the sweet scent of her strawberry and freesia shampoo that I had come to love.

Bella turned around and faced me. "Well, I just thought we'd stay in and have a quiet dinner or something like that."

I shook my head. "I want to take you out. I want this night to be special. It would be just like any other day if we did that," I told her.

She smiled. "Okay. We can go out." Bella shot a warning glance at me before she spoke again. "But it better be something good!"

A small chuckle escaped my lips. Was it possible that it had been a year that I was officially married to Bella? The time flew by so fast. It was strange to think that, at that moment, I wasn't looking for love but for an escape route out of the prison. Sometimes we get more than we ask for, I suppose.

I knew exactly where I wanted to take Bella. It would be perfect and the last thing she would ever suspect. Bella would love it.

The rest of the day past quickly. We sat around and watched old, cheesy movies while eating popcorn on the couch. She continued to nag me about telling me where we were going, but I simply denied her request. I wanted it to be a surprise for her. She would protest and tell me to just tell her, but I refused.

She puckered her bottom lip at me. "Come on. Just one hint. That's all," Bella pressed.

I shook my head. "Nope. You just have to be patient!"

Bella gripped my hand when I went to turn away from her. She stepped on her tiptoes and brought her lips to my ear. It was amazing how even that simple touch could still cause chills to crawl up and down the contours of my spine. "If you do, I'll make it worth your while," Bella whispered.

That was tempting. Very, very tempting. If there was one thing that got to me, it was when Bella whispered to me like that. But I stood my ground and shook my head. I took a step away from her and grinned. "Nice try. Now go get ready before I change my mind about even taking you."

She huffed and pouted like a little girl who hadn't gotten her way. It was adorable, and she always looked so funny whenever she would do things like that. Bella walked away from me, but not before teasing me like she normally did. Still turned away from me, she criss-crossed her arms and removed the shirt she was wearing, tossing it lightly to the floor. In one swift motion, Bella reached behind her and disposed of the blue satin bra that attached to her breasts. "I think I'll go take a shower, now," she stated, smiling devilishly back to me.

I shook my head and laughed. "Good and while you're at it, you can try and guess where I'm taking you."

Bella scrunched her face and stuck her tongue out toward me as if she were a child. "Fine. Just remember that it takes two people to have sex."

My eyes rolled at her mood. She always threatened me with that. But the honest truth was that she was ten times worse about sex than I was. "I'll keep that in mind," I told her.

When she finished with her shower, I hopped in almost instantly. I wanted to be sure that we would arrive at the place before dark.

**Bella's POV**

I honestly had no idea where he was taking me. We didn't really have a special place or anything so it was a complete mystery to me. Edward always loved to surprise me with things. Some days, he would come home from work with flowers for me, or he would have a hot bath running for me when I had a hard day at work. He was always a gentlemen. I loved that about him.

But today I didn't want a surprise. I was extremely curious, and apparently my attempts to make him tell me weren't working. I decided to just try to be patient and contain my excitement and eagerness.

My attention was focused more on what I would wear tonight. I sifted through the clothing in my closet and drawers looking for something pretty and sexy. I always found those two made a great combination. I'd picked out the panties and push-up bra that I would wear tonight; silk with lace and grosgrain ribbon trim. They would be put to good use on a night like this.

I still couldn't decide on what to wear though. I'd asked Edward if I would need to wear something casual or formal, and he told me everyday attire. He said it didn't matter what I wore because I would always be the most beautiful girl where ever we went. Naturally, I suck at taking compliments so my red blush crept onto my face.

My hands drifted across the clothing in my closet. I wanted to wear something that Edward would surely like. I picked out a pair of super slim-fit skinny jeans that he once said he adored on me. Tonight would be a good night to wear them. But what top should I wear? Blue, Edward liked blue on me. "Blue, blue, blue," I said to myself until I found something suitable. I yanked the shirt from the hanger and examined it. It was a V-neck, long-sleeved top that gathered at the hips. It was nothing fancy or flashy. It was just...me. The shirt just so happened to be one of my favorites, too.

I slipped the garments onto my body over the lingerie I had underneath. Everything fit nicely. Just the way I liked it. I ran to the mirror and fixed my damp hair using a blow dryer. When it was completely finished, I placed a little bit of mascara with light eyeliner on my face. I also used a light shade of lipstick with a glossy coat of lip gloss.

When I was completely finished getting ready, I walked over to the door length mirror and gave myself a look-over. I practically ran out of the bedroom, wondering if Edward was ready yet. My curiosity kept getting the best of me. Hastily, I walked toward the living room to find Edward seated on the couch watching a football game. His emerald orbs glanced up at me, allowing a grin to spread across his face. "You look beautiful."

"So do you," I replied, earning a chuckle from Edward's lips.

He got up from the white furniture and placed his mouth gently on mine. I took his bottom lip between my lips while he took my top. It was a short kiss, but it felt so much better than the others. I watched as he glanced down at my feet and then back at me. "You're going to need to wear tennis shoes, okay?"

"Is this part of my surprise?" I pressed.

Edward nodded his head. "Mmmhmm."

So I did what he said, placing my blue tennis shoes on my feet. They went okay with my outfit, and it made me feel better that I didn't have to wear heels. I was too clumsy for my own good. Edward held the car door on the passenger side open for me, allowing me to step inside. He walked to the driver side and started the car.

"Are you going to give me one hint?" I asked, pulling my seat belt on.

He shook his head. "Nope. But I am going to ask you to put this on," he said, handing a piece of cloth to me.

I took the red fabric from his hands and examined it for a moment. "Where?" I asked.

"Over your eyes," he replied.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Why?" I asked, cautiously.

He laughed slightly and then shook his head another time. "Just do it, Bella."

I sighed but did as he commanded, placing the cloth over my brown eyes. It seemed totally pointless, but it was part of his surprise so I went along with it. The drive to where ever we were going was dark and seemed to take forever. Occasionally, I would turn to Edward and ask if we were almost there yet. He told me that I needed to be patient, and that it would be a little while. Well, that's the thing about me; I can't be patient.

Finally, I felt the car come to a complete halt. "Are we here?" I asked, still unable to see.

"Yeah," he said, shutting off the car, "We're here."

I heard him step out of the car, due to the slamming of the driver-side door. I didn't bother reaching for mine because I knew he would have a fit if I did. He always had to be a gentleman. Surely, I was right when I felt the door next to me open. I felt around for Edward's hand and gripped it tightly, hoping I wouldn't fall.

I stumbled slightly, but Edward's arm caught me before I managed to hit the ground. "You know things would go a lot smoother if you would let me use my eyes," I told him.

"You're probably right," he stated. "But what fun would that be?"

My head shook. "You're ridiculous, do you know that?"

"So I've heard," he replied.

Edward laced his long fingers through mine and held them tightly. We walked for what seemed like forever. That really irked me because he knew how much I hated walking. I would turn to him and ask if we were really there yet, and he would reply almost. I was getting really tired of this whole using-my-legs thing.

I tried to determine where I was with out using my eyes. The feeling under my feet felt so familiar, and the smells in the air seemed well-known to me. I let my left arm occasionally stretch out, but I came in contact with nothing. I wasn't sure of the exact place, though it seemed like I knew it.

Finally, we came to a complete stop. Edward let go of my hand. "Stay there," he said, his voice slightly distant.

"Where would I go?" I asked sarcastically while [pointing to the cloth on my eyes.

He laughed. "Good point."

It was only a short moment that he was away from me. I heard the rustling of something, and then in a flash, Edward had lifted me off the ground, carrying me bridal style. I laughed at the suddenness of his actions, taking me by surprise. "So are we really here, or is this just another stop?"

"We're really here," he said carrying me up what seemed like stairs. He placed me on the ground after a short walk.

Edward brought his soft lips to a spot on my neck before he went behind me, removing the cloth from my eyes. I blinked several times before I gazed around the dimly-lit room. I smiled when I recognized where I was, and why everything out there had seemed so familiar. This was where Edward had taken me when he "kidnapped" me.

Everything was decorated this time. The small, wooden dinner table had a white cloth over it with candles lit. The dishes were filled with a dinner that looked appetizing from where I stood. The ground was covered in rose petals everywhere you tried to step, and the bed had a new comforter that was a bright white color. It was beautiful.

I glanced back at Edward and smiled. "I love it."

He grinned and took a step toward me, planting his mouth firmly on mine. I brought both my hands to the back of Edward's neck and pulled him closer to me. His arms snaked around my waist before he pulled away, just inches from my lips. "You've made me so happy, Bella. I don't know what I would ever do with out you. I love you so much."

I kissed him again, this time more tenderly. "Wait!" I said against his lips. Edward pulled back looking at me with confusion. "Was it really necessary to take me in circles again instead of just leading me here?" I asked.

Edward laughed and nodded his head. "I wanted to relive the moment." He paused, staring deeply into my eyes. "Our past is one of a kind, Bella. I'm sure that no couple has ever had the challenges or obstacles we've had. But they're important. Our difficulties brought us together, and I will never resent them. It was the drawbacks that led me to you, and I'm thankful for them. You're the love of my life, and I'm so happy that I get to share forever with you."

A wide beam spread across my entire face before I kissed the man I loved another time.

Edward is all I could have asked for in my life.

Edward is everything that anyone could ever hope for.

Edward is my past, present, and future.

Edward is a fugitive for love.

_**THE END**_

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**A/N: *cries by herself* I can't believe it's over, and it makes me very sad. But on the bright side, I've got some great ideas that I'm ready to begin, especially with my other story Forbidden Romance. Go check it out, and stick with my stories. You guys have been awesome. None of my updates would have been possible with out you all! **

**Thanks again!**

**xoxox**

**Nicole**


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